DUBOIS: DuBoisLIVE is honoring four of its own — individuals who helped shape, guide, and strengthen this community — by sending their names on a historic journey around the Moon. . . the one up in the sky revolving around this, the third rock from the Sun, Earth.

Through NASA’s “Send Your Name with Artemis” initiative, names submitted by the public will travel aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch no later than April 2026. The mission will send astronauts on a lunar flyby — the first crewed journey beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.

As part of that historic voyage, DuBoisLIVE has submitted four deeply meaningful names — not just community members, but pillars of DuBoisLIVE itself.

Below are the individuals we are honoring. 

Joseph Lesky (1922 – 2013)

Joseph Lesky was not only a beloved patriarch and DuBoisLIVE co-founder, but the grandfather of DuBoisLIVE’s current owner, Shawn Lesky. His legacy of hard work, resilience, and community pride continues to influence the spirit behind DuBoisLIVE today. In life, when asked how he was doing in his later years, he would joke, "Still kicking. . . but not so high!" with a laugh. There might be no more kicking, but this should take care of the "high". His (slightly) younger brother Edward Lesky (my great uncle) retired from NASA after a long career that began before NASA was even NASA where he worked on, among other things, the Gemini missions and is honored on the Gemini Monument near his home in Satellite Beach, FL, so it is a tribute I hope both would approve of.

Rick Wolbert (1960 – 2018)

Rick Wolbert was a dedicated DuBoisLIVE volunteer and administrator who gave countless hours helping manage discussions, maintain order, and strengthen the group’s sense of community. For at least a decade, he was most likely to be online between the hours of 1:AM and 5:AM. I severely miss our chats and working together. . . not to mention the constant tech tinkering.

Paxton Stewart (1979 – 2023)

Paxton Stewart served as a valued volunteer and administrator within DuBoisLIVE, helping guide conversations and foster connection among tens of thousands of members. The shock value he could create or steer was a genre of comedy invented by one and practiced by one. . . him. It is irreplacable and missed beyond words. My best friend. . . the "Secret Santa" of multiple counties, he helped perfect strangers at their lowest point and gave of himself more than most ever get to witness; those of us that did were very fortunate to have known him and called him a friend.

Kevin Sprankle (1976 - 2025)

Kevin Sprankle was a trusted volunteer and administrator whose steady presence and commitment helped DuBoisLIVE grow into the platform it is today. He never said "No" and, more times than I could count, helped me be two or three places at once. The best man in my wedding and most likely of anyone I've ever known to be able to change a tire without a jack, he possessed a strength that few are blessed with. He was the most social recluse I've ever met and among the most selfless. Some of our best features. . . including some that are on the horizon were born of his incredible imagination.

A Tribute That Reaches Beyond Earth

When Artemis II circles the Moon, these four names — woven into the digital memory of the Orion spacecraft — will travel together as they did in life through their shared involvement with DuBoisLIVE and the region that it serves. . . the place they were born, lived, worked, and volunteered of themselves part of that long dash that fits between the year of their birth and the year of their death (seen above).

This tribute is symbolic, but powerful. It reflects how DuBoisLIVE is more than a Facebook group or a news platform — it is a network built by real people who gave their time, energy, and heart to keeping the community informed and connected.

How You Can Send A Name To Space

NASA is inviting the public to participate in this historic mission by submitting names online. Participants receive a personalized digital boarding pass, and their name will be included on the same storage device traveling aboard Artemis II.

It is free, open to all, and serves as a unique way to honor a loved one or mark your own place in a milestone moment for humanity.

As DuBoisLIVE continues to grow, it carries forward the contributions of those who helped build it. And now — in a small but meaningful way — four of its own will orbit the Moon.

Readers who would like to submit a name can do so through NASA’s official “Send Your Name with Artemis” page.