MESSAGE 24: A BLESSING FROM EARTH

Expedition 53 crewmembers received a very special call from Earth on Oct. 26. They communicated directly with Pope Francis, who asked them questions delving deep into their purpose on the station and in the universe. The European Space Agency’s Paolo Nespoli of Italy, another Expedition 53 astronaut, translated as the crew gave contemplative responses to the Pope. Commander Randy Bresnik said that “one cannot work on the space station without feeling touched to the soul; from Low Earth Orbit one realizes there are no national borders and that only a thin band of translucent atmosphere protects every living human on the planet.”

Needless to say, Expedition 53 was touched by their dialogue with Pope Francis, who inspired their work by telling them that the ISS shows to our individualistic world the value of collaboration. As he put it, “the totality is greater than the sum of its parts.” Read more about the conversation with Pope Francis here.

See you next time,
Ralf