Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover: 'There Are No Atheists On Top Of Rockets'

Why the Christian Pilot of NASA's Artemis II Mission Says Faith Matters in Space

NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the pilot of the Artemis II mission to the Moon, has openly declared that his Christian faith is central to his life and career, telling reporters that "there are no atheists on top of rockets."

Glover launched aboard the Orion spacecraft on April 1, 2026, becoming the first Black man to travel beyond low Earth orbit and the first to journey to the vicinity of the Moon. The mission marked the first crewed flight to the Moon in over 50 years.

A member of the Church of Christ, a US Protestant congregation, Glover serves as a Sunday school teacher and brought a Bible with him among his personal items for the lunar mission.

"In the military, there's a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. There aren't any on top of rockets, either."

Speaking previously to the Christian Chronicle, Glover, who has spent nearly three decades in the United States Navy, reflected on how prayer shapes his approach to dangerous flights.

"My career is fed by my faith, and you know, anytime I do something that's pretty risky, I pray, before I fly, every time I fly." Victor Glover

During his earlier six month assignment aboard the International Space Station as Expedition 64 Flight Engineer, Glover also packed his Bible along with communion cups so he could observe the Lord's Supper in orbit.

Artemis II Astronaut Victor Glover Brings Bible to the Moon

Glover has been outspoken about the harmony he sees between scientific exploration and Christian faith, rejecting the idea that the two are in conflict.

"I believe in both, and I don't find them to be in conflict." Victor Glover

He has also shared how the experience of viewing Earth from space deepened his sense of awe at God's creation, calling the planet "small but incredibly special" and emphasizing that "we are all brothers and sisters."

Glover's testimony from 240,000 miles above the Earth offers a stark contrast to the secular humanism that often dominates the cultural conversation around space exploration. His simple message: "We need Jesus, whether here on Earth or orbiting the Moon."

The Crusader's Opinion

The world's most advanced technology cannot escape the truth that men were made for God. Victor Glover strapped himself to millions of pounds of explosive thrust and rode it to the Moon, and the first thing he packed was his Bible. That tells you everything. The atheist intellectual class loves to pretend that science has somehow disproved Christianity, yet the men actually doing the science, the ones risking their lives at the edge of human possibility, keep falling on their knees before the Lord. There are no atheists on top of rockets because there is no atheism in reality. Only pretending.

Take Action

• Pray for Victor Glover and the entire Artemis II crew, that their bold witness inspires millions to seek Christ.
• Support persecuted Christians worldwide through The Shepherd's Shield: www.TheShepherdsShield.org
• Encourage Christians in STEM fields to be open about their faith. Share Glover's testimony with a young believer studying science or engineering.
• Support the global Bible mission through Voice of the Martyrs: www.persecution.com
• Contact NASA to thank them for not silencing the faith expressions of their astronauts: www.nasa.gov/general/contact-nasa