Glover left earth on November 15 and docked at the Space Station two days later to begin a six-month stay as part of a NASA and SpaceX joint science mission.

A Church of Christ member in Houston, Texas, Glover told The Christian Chronicle how he wants to “use the abilities that God has given me to do my job well and support my crewmates and mission and NASA.”

Having worked for NASA for seven years, astronaut Glover took his Bible to the International Space Station, as well as communion items. He plans also to participate in online church from the great beyond because the wi-fi connection is robust.

“So honestly, I will probably continue in what we’ve been doing: virtual service, virtual giving, reading my Bible and praying,” Glover said.

Since the 1960s, about 570 people have been to space but Glover is the first black Astronaut on a longer mission.

“It is bittersweet because I’ve had some amazing colleagues before me that really could have done it, and there are some amazing folks that will go behind me,” Glover told The Christian Chronicle. “I wish it would have already been done, but I try not to draw too much attention to it.”

There is a long history of religious practitioners in space and Glover invited us all to look to the heavens when looking for answers during difficult situations (not limited to space missions).

“There are so many really simple lessons from the Bible,” said Glover. “To love God first and foremost, to love yourself – have a healthy love of yourself and then to love your brother as yourself.

“If all of us are doing that, so many of these other issues that we allow to divide us stop becoming barriers to relationships.”