Astronaut Victor Glover headed to space for a six-month mission at the International Space Station bringing with him his Bible and his faith.
Glover, the pilot for a team of three other astronauts, lifted off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 15 to take part in a science mission that includes experiments, robotic operations and space walks.
In an interview with the Christian Chronicle, the 44-year-old shared his Christian faith and the vital role God plays in his life as a NASA astronaut, a husband, and a father.
I want to use the abilities that God has given me to do my job well and support my crewmates and mission and NASA. —NASA Astronaut Victor Glover
The California native revealed that even in outer space, he will still continue with his church routines. “I actually sent up communion cups and a Bible, and we have really good internet connectivity,” said Glover.
The Covid-19 pandemic has helped him to prepare for his spiritual needs. “So honestly, I will probably continue in what we’ve been doing: virtual service, virtual giving, reading my Bible and praying.”
This is Glover’s first mission to outer space and he relies heavily on his Christian faith to help him throughout this huge mission. “I want to use the abilities that God has given me to do my job well and support my crewmates and mission and NASA,” he said. “That’s really the thing I think the most about.”
Undertaking a space mission is a daunting task and he admits that some may get lost seeing the big picture once in outer space. “It’s going to be interesting to walk up to a rocket that’s really active and ready to go and has all those noises and sounds and know that I’m going to ride that to 400 kilometers up and then live there for half a year,” he said in admiration.
He added that, “I have a job to do. Sometimes that gets lost in the emotion of it. I’m looking forward to looking out the window and taking the pictures and taking in the moment.”
During the interview, Glover talked about his wife, Dionna, and their children.
“God assigned me a few really important things: this life, this vessel, but also my wife and that relationship, the two of us becoming one and then the family that we’ve grown with our four daughters.”
The former naval aviator stressed the importance of nurturing their spiritual life during the pandemic. “Attending in person (during COVID-19) is not the right thing for us, but we still want to make sure we’re doing what we need to do. It is very important to our family and bringing up our kids, so we still attend as a family even though we’re doing it virtually.”
In addition to discussing his faith and family, Glover shared his thoughts on the issues the country is facing, reports CBN News. With the pandemic, political divide, racism, etc., he maintained that people should turn to God when they’re troubled and looking for answers. “We all need to lean on God but we also need to lean on each other and be encouraging to one another,” he said.
