'Moon joy' fan made a very specific request of astronaut Christina Koch, and NASA just wrote back

A woman named Ariel Lynn (@ariel_lynn34) went on Threads with an unusual request for the Artemis II team. Neither did she expect the stunning space pictures, nor did she demand any souvenirs. Instead, Lynn had a special request for astronaut Christina Koch, who accompanied Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen for a ten-day round trip around the Moon. What's more surprising is that Lynn even received a heartfelt response from NASA. She posted her request on April 13. Within two days, her post received an overwhelming response, crossing 6k likes on her page. 

Lynn requested that Koch send her "copy, moon joy" in her handwriting so she could add it to her moon tattoo. "It just doesn’t feel the same if I write it… you get it right, NASA?" she added. To her surprise, the very next day, NASA replied, acknowledging her request. "Message received. We'll see what we can do, but no promises!" 

Lynn, who shared a special bond with her cousin, Jen, lost her in 2024. She was close to her and was heavily inspired by the moon tattoo on her forearm. And when she heard Jacki Mahaffey, the chief training officer of Artemis II, say "copy, moon joy," she saw it as a sign from heaven above. "She connected Jen and me one more time by going there and coming back. And that’s why it has to be Christina who writes it for me," Lynn added.

For those who are not aware, Mahaffey said the beautiful phrase when the Artemis II astronauts described what they were seeing during their lunar flyby earlier this month. "It’s just everything from the training, but in three dimensions and absolutely unbelievable. This is incredible," confessed NASA's Reid Wiseman. To this, the chief training officer replied with a chuckle, "Copy, moon joy."

On April 10, NASA, which has been using "Moon Joy" in their social media posts, shared what the word actually means to them. The team wrote, "'Moon joy' [noun]: the feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the moon. The Artemis II crew brings us endless moon joy."

Now, the question is whether people really put much thought into getting a tattoo, as Lynn did. Well, not really. A survey of 1,000 adults with tattoos found that 17% of respondents got their body art on the same day they decided on. In fact, 6% got it done within an hour. Respondents (31%) also confessed that getting a tattoo is a completely spontaneous decision for them.

Meanwhile, reacting to the wholesome interaction, @fireclayart commented, "I feel this — handwriting carries so much soul. I put people’s words on mugs for the same reason. Hope NASA comes through for you." Similarly, @kellydee4769 shared, "I’m getting that tattoo as well, Copy, Moon Joy." Similarly, @msglendamiles said, "Me, too! I'll get one too (adding to moony tats already)." 

You can follow Ariel Lynn (@ariel_lynn34) on Threads for more lifestyle content. 

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