April 10, 2026
Provided Image/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
A group of 23 third grade students at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy had their names included on an SD card taken aboard the Artemis II spacecraft that travelled around the moon.
The Orion spacecraft carrying the history-making Artemis II astronauts also holds an SD card with the names of 5 million astronomy lovers, including a group of elementary school students from Chestnut Hill.
The names of 23 third-grade girls from Springside Chestnut Hill Academy were included on the SD card. To their teachers, it represents a watershed moment for their education and one they hope will inspire them to shoot for the moon.
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In November, the students wrote thank you notes to veterans — a tradition for third graders at the K-12 private school. Through an SCH alum in the Naval Academy, the students connected with Richard Yasky, a former Naval pilot and retired NASA engineer.
"He wrote them a lovely letter back and they became pen pals all (school) year," said Katy Friedman, director of admissions and enrollment management at SCH. "The girls were extra interested in him, too, because they also study outer space in the third grade."
Yasky, touched by the students' notes, informed the school that NASA was collecting names to be put on a SD card installed inside of the spaceship. Participants were deemed honorary passengers for the flight, which traveled farther into space than any other human-occupied vessel in history. After hearing about the SCH students' interest in the mission, Yasky advocated for their inclusion in the program.
"I'm incredibly proud of how the girls' kindness has come full circle," said Laura McManus, a third grade teacher at SCH. "It's a beautiful moment where their education truly connects with the real world."
The students' names were added to the SD card before Orion's takeoff on April 1, and they will remain in the NASA database. Each girl received an honorary ticket to outer space. They brought their tickets to a watch party of the launch at the Franklin Institute.
"Study hard and you can do amazing things just like NASA does!" Yasky wrote in a letter to the students before the launch. "I'll be watching with you. I hope you enjoy your little trip around the moon."
Student Nora Walsh likened the excitement she felt to "butterflies" in her stomach. Maayan, whose last name was not disclosed due to privacy purposes, said the experience felt "extraordinary and amazing."
"It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity since NASA hasn't launched a rocket with astronauts (headed to the moon) in 50 years," said Poppy Moyer, another student in McManus' class.
The Artemis II mission took its four astronauts around the dark side of the moon, yielding pictures similar to those taken by astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. Americans landed on the moon for the first time in 1969, but no one has returned to the surface since the Apollo 17 crew in 1972.
The Artemis II mission is part of NASA's plans to return Americans to the moon. The Artemis IV mission, scheduled to launch in early 2028, is expected to include the first moon landing in 56 years.
The Artemis II crew returns to Earth on Friday evening after 10 days in space. The Orion spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego. A livestream begins at 6:30 p.m.
Friedman said the students' experience with Artemis II has emboldened them to set their sights on becoming astronauts, engineers or mathematicians — one of her goals as an educator.
"There are people doing big things and you can also be a part of something big," Friedman said. "That's what we want them to take away from it."
