Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to crowd Florida's Space Coast for the Artemis II launch tonight. The mission aims to send four astronauts around the Moon, potentially traveling further from Earth than anyone before.
Local officials anticipate a 'historic influx' of tourists, with an economic impact of around $160 million. Bars are advertising 'moonshots' and souvenir shops like Space Shirts are stocked for the surge.
Brenda Mulberry, who has sold NASA souvenirs for 40 years, says people are 'beyond excited' for the return to the Moon. 'I want to have the first T-shirt shop on the Moon,' she said.
The Artemis II crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. They will fly in NASA's Orion capsule atop the massive Space Launch System rocket from Launch Pad 39B. The 10-day mission will test the capsule with a human crew for the first time, including a flyby of the Moon's far side where radio contact will be lost.
Commander Wiseman hopes the mission will inspire a new generation. 'Kids will walk out and look at the Moon going, we are there,' he said.
The mission will culminate with a high-speed re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, a critical test of Orion's heat shield following issues identified on the uncrewed Artemis I flight.
If successful, Artemis II marks a key step toward future missions aiming to land humans on the Moon and establish a permanent base.