An estimated 400,000 people are expected to line the causeways, beaches, and motel balconies along Florida’s Space Coast for the Artemis II launch attempt at 6:24 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The mission, set to begin at Kennedy Space Center, will send four astronauts on a 10-day test flight around the Moon—without a landing. Eight-year-old Isiah, who plans to watch from a nearby beach, said the event is 'kind of cool.'
The launch has drawn visitors from across the country, including Amanda Garcia, who traveled more than 1,000 miles from New Mexico. 'I came out here to see it,' she said. 'A lot of people are going to be here.' Businesses in Titusville and Cocoa Beach are preparing for the surge, with hotels warning of traffic delays and bars offering themed 'moonshot' drinks. Officials estimate the event will bring a $160 million economic boost to the region.
Space Shirts, a Merritt Island shop run by Brenda Mulberry, has been selling NASA-themed merchandise for four decades. Mulberry said this launch stands apart from regular missions. 'We've wanted to go back to the Moon since the '70s,' she said. 'People are excited. People are beyond excited.' The shop has stocked up on T-shirts, mission patches, and lunar imagery ahead of the event.
Launch preparations include illuminated highways and rows of camper vans near the pads. Traffic plans are in place as officials brace for a 'historic influx' of visitors. The flight will carry astronauts farther from Earth than any humans before, though they will not land on the Moon. The crew may see parts of the lunar surface never viewed directly by astronauts.