In last month’s column, I discussed the typical military brat experience and how through my dad’s faithful decision to pursue a career within the Air Force, I have gained a differing perspective of the world; one seen through the naïve eyes of a child.

Now that I am a little older, the military life seems quite daunting. Expectations are amplified to a heightening level and daily pressures are everlastingly strenuous. After my dad hung up his Army green flight suit on the hanger and concluded his 20 years of service, I was under the impression that his retirement would be stress-free and consisting of nothing but utter relaxation. Little did I know, retirement has been a tad more exciting than a catnap on the couch! Instead of slumbering in our Colorado Springs house, my dad was going to be carrying out a unique mission in space. Retirement quickly shifted into a newfound career being an astronaut.

To give some context, the Polaris Program (in which my dad is a part of ) is partnering with SpaceX to carry out a 5-day low Earth orbit space flight where astronauts will perform the first commercial spacewalk, set an altitude record, test Starlink mechanisms from space, and conduct 40 various science experiments. This mission is composed entirely of civilians, furthering the quest for long-duration spaceflight and inspiring individuals to seek out space as a possibility for everyone, no matter your prior job experience.

When I first heard that my dad would be embarking on a mission taking place 1,000 kilometers further than the ISS, my family and I were on Interquest, sitting at a restaurant booth on a Tuesday evening. I never imagined news of astronomical being shared in the lively Texas family-style setting, but surprisingly the restaurant’s comfort food allowed us to swallow this unique job shift easier.

As soon as the waiter had taken our order, my dad looked at my mom to receive a ‘go ahead’ expression. He then launched the idea of our new future, letting us know of the general timeline and what it would mean for us as a united Poteet family. The table had fallen silent with my family’s faces transitioning from anxious and eager to astonished and amazed. I remember my mind bouncing from thought to thought as chatter started to arise but one thing stayed at the forefront of my mind: my mom.

She had persevered through numerous periods where my dad was deployed and absent for elongated extents of time, but me being a worrisome daughter couldn’t help but think of the new implications presented with being the wife of an astronaut: the training, the absence, the risk.

Although now I am 100% confident with my trust in the engineers at SpaceX to bring my dad back home safely, it required various accounts of reassurance by him and the Polaris Dawn team to feel comfortable with the idea. My mom had supported my dad through every career endeavor that the military offered, and throughout training, my family had looked at this experience similarly. Our mission as the Poteet’s back on Earth would be to support my dad and continually tell him that we are there for him and that we love him.

To end, I am thrilled about the possibilities of this upcoming mission and its continuous ability to inspire a diverse realm of individuals. Even though the astronautical industry might not be in my personal career path, I now see that with hard work and persistence, along with the everlasting support of your family, spaceflight is a reality built for anyone.