Eastern Florida State College instructors Ed Mango and Wade Dauberman are bringing real-world spaceflight experience into the classroom after witnessing the Artemis II launch on April 1, 2026. The mission marked the first lunar voyage since 1972, and for Mango, who worked at NASA from 1982 to 2026 as a shuttle engineer, the event held personal significance. 'Knowing there are four people on there and we’re going back to the moon was just incredible,' Mango said. 'The last time we were on the moon, I was 12 years old.'
Mango, an aerospace technology instructor at EFSC for nearly a decade, has spent his career bridging the gap between theoretical education and practical spaceflight experience. He taught students at the Melbourne campus while working on NASA’s space shuttle program, a role that ended in 2026. His perspective on Artemis II, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, offers students a rare glimpse into the realities of human space exploration. 'We’re not just teaching equations,' Mango said. 'We’re showing them what it’s like to be part of something that changes the world.'
Dauberman, who also teaches at EFSC, emphasized the importance of hands-on learning. The pair have incorporated launch footage and engineering insights from Artemis II into their curriculum, allowing students to analyze the mission’s technical challenges. 'When you see a rocket lift off, it’s one thing,' Dauberman said. 'But when you understand the physics behind it, it becomes something else.' Their classes now include discussions on lunar landing systems and spacecraft design, topics directly informed by their work on NASA projects.
EFSC’s aerospace program has seen growing enrollment since 2020, with many students pursuing careers in aerospace engineering or space operations. The college’s proximity to Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center gives students unique access to industry events and internships. Mango and Dauberman plan to take students to future launches, continuing a tradition that has shaped the careers of hundreds of graduates. 'We’re not just preparing them for jobs,' Mango said. 'We’re preparing them for history.'