JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – NASA astronaut Christina Koch of Jacksonville is one of four astronauts who have safely returned home aboard the Orion spacecraft following a historic lunar mission.
WITN visited her former high school, White Oak High School, to hear how this mission is inspiring future astronauts to picture themselves among the stars.
Koch’s legacy is still present at the high school and has been at the forefront of students’ and staff’s minds over the last 10 days.
“The kids are glued to the TVs. There’s recaps going on, and I think the media coverage of this is far different than Apollo as well. It’s constant. There’s always something being played on the NASA YouTube livestream, and so they’ve been watching that and pretty much everything new that pops up, they pause and take a listen,” said Brandon Dillman, Onslow County Schools science coordinator.
Dillman says the splashdown was the most critical part of the mission, and unlike launch, there is no wiggle room, as there is only one chance to land safely.
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