COCOA BEACH
\nJason Heath had ventured with his family from northeastern Maine to the Sunshine State for a vacation \u2014 but soon found out they were set to \u201cwitness history\u201d with the launch of NASA\u2019s Artemis 2 mission.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s definitely cool to know that humans are going further than ever before,\u201d 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.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s definitely pretty cool to know that I\u2019ll be around,\u201d said Heath, his daughter and nephew clinging to his legs.
\nAfter 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.
\nThe lunar mission \u2014 the first of its kind in more than 50 years \u2014 will see the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American embark on a journey to the Moon.
\nAccording 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 p.m. local time (2224 GMT).
\n– Fortuitous timing –
\nTemperatures were hovering around 77F (25C) as Alyx Coster, 38, enjoyed the beach with her children, who she says are \u201csuper excited\u201d for the launch.
\nThe family that includes a 10, 11 and 18-year-old had come into town from Minnesota for a baseball trip \u2014 \u201cwe didn\u2019t know it was happening until we got down here,\u201d she told AFP.
\nBut now they are now clued in to their fortuitous timing.
\nCoster said her children were \u201csuper proud that they\u2019ll get to witness history.\u201d
\nTheir unawareness of the upcoming Moon launch is far from the exception: despite NASA\u2019s 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.
\nMelinda Schuerfranz, 76, remembers the Apollo days, when everyone would gather around the television to watch scientific advancement in action.
\n\u201cI think it was way more exciting then, but I think it was publicized more too, and everybody tuned into it,\u201d the retiree from Ohio told AFP.
\nThe \u201cspace race\u201d with the Soviet Union also boosted interest, her husband John added.
\nBut the couple enjoying their beach vacation were excited nonetheless: \u201cWe\u2019ve never seen anything like this.\u201d
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t wait,\u201d said Melinda. \u201cWe\u2019ll be here early.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
COCOA BEACH Jason Heath had ventured with his family from northeastern Maine to the Sunshine State for a vacation \u2014 but soon found out they were set to \u201cwitness history\u201d with the launch of NASA\u2019s Artemis 2 mission. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely cool to know that humans are going further than ever before,\u201d the 40-year-old shipbuilder told […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":539558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-539546","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n