NASA's Artemis II mission is set to launch at 6:24 p.m. Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center, with an estimated 400,000 people expected to crowd coastal roads, beaches, and hotel balconies along Brevard County's Space Coast. The flight will carry four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon without landing, marking the first crewed mission to venture beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Eight-year-old Isiah, visiting with his family from Orlando, said the event is 'kind of cool.' His enthusiasm mirrors that of Amanda Garcia, who traveled 1,000 miles from New Mexico to witness the launch. 'I came out here to see it,' she said. 'A lot of people are going to be here.' Local businesses along the Cocoa Beach and Titusville waterfronts have capitalized on the event, with bars offering 'moonshot' themed drinks and hotels warning guests of traffic delays.
The economic impact is expected to reach $160 million, according to Brevard County officials. Traffic management plans are underway for a night when highway lights will compete with the glow of the launch pads and backyard barbecues. Brenda Mulberry, owner of Space Shirts in Cocoa, has sold NASA merchandise for 40 years and expects a surge in customers. 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,' she said.
The launch window runs through Thursday, with weather forecasts showing a 60% chance of favorable conditions. If delayed, the mission could still proceed by Friday. The flight will test the Orion spacecraft's systems and pave the way for future lunar landings, including NASA's goal to return humans to the moon by 2025.