Jason Heath had ventured with his family from northeastern Maine to the Sunshine State for a vacation — but soon found out they were set to “witness history” with the launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission.<\/p>\n
“It’s definitely cool to know that humans are going further than ever before,” the 40-year-old shipbuilder told AFP from the shores of Cocoa Beach, a popular Florida resort area near the NASA launch complex from which the enormous orange-and-white rocket will blast off.<\/p>\n
“It’s definitely pretty cool to know that I’ll be around,” said Heath, his daughter and nephew clinging to his legs.<\/p>\n
After several years of delays, the Artemis 2 mission is poised to carry three Americans and one Canadian on a journey that is expected to break the distance record set by the Apollo missions, venturing further into space than any crew has gone before.<\/p>\n
The lunar mission — the first of its kind in more than 50 years — will see the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American embark on a journey to the Moon.<\/p>\n
According to local Florida newspapers, some 400,000 people are expected to turn up to watch liftoff, which is currently slated for Wednesday at 6:24 pm local time (2224 GMT).<\/p>\n
– Fortuitous timing –<\/p>\n
Temperatures were hovering around 77F (25C) as Alyx Coster, 38, enjoyed the beach with her children, who she says are “super excited” for the launch.<\/p>\n
The family that includes a 10, 11 and 18-year-old had come into town from Minnesota for a baseball trip — “we didn’t know it was happening until we got down here,” she told AFP.<\/p>\n
But now they are now clued in to their fortuitous timing.<\/p>\n
Coster said her children were “super proud that they’ll get to witness history.”<\/p>\n
Their unawareness of the upcoming Moon launch is far from the exception: despite NASA’s communication and subsequent news coverage emphasizing the historic nature of the flight, many Americans interviewed by AFP in recent weeks said they were unaware of the mission.<\/p>\n
Melinda Schuerfranz, 76, remembers the Apollo days, when everyone would gather around the television to watch scientific advancement in action.<\/p>\n
“I think it was way more exciting then, but I think it was publicized more too, and everybody tuned into it,” the retiree from Ohio told AFP.<\/p>\n
The “space race” with the Soviet Union also boosted interest, her husband John added.<\/p>\n
But the couple enjoying their beach vacation were excited nonetheless: “We’ve never seen anything like this.”<\/p>\n
“We can’t wait,” said Melinda. “We’ll be here early.”<\/p>\n
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