‘That’s crazy’: NASA’s first moon mission in 50 years visible from Hilton Head
From Hilton Head beaches, the rocket resembled only a small speck in the sky.
With a thin contrail streaming behind it, the spacecraft could have easily been mistaken for a passenger airplane or a private jet.
Those who knew what they were seeing understood that they were witnessing a moment in history.
At 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, NASA launched the Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby mission in over 50 years.
Four astronauts, including one from North Carolina, will spend approximately 10 days traveling around the moon and back. Although they won’t land directly on the moon, the trip marks the closest humans have been to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
The goal of the Artemis II mission is to test the Orion spacecraft’s systems can sustain crews in the deep space environment, according to NASA.
The previous mission was deployed without humans on board in November 2022 to test the spacecraft’s ability to travel around the moon and back.
Future Artemis missions will allow astronauts to “explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and help build momentum for the first crewed missions to Mars,” NASA said in a statement.
Islanders spot rocket ship
The Artemis II mission could be spotted from Hilton Head Island Wednesday evening.
A resident of Palmetto Hall, who did not wish to be named in the Island Packet, recorded the spacecraft from her backyard.
“That’s crazy,” she said as the rocket flew overhead.
She told the Packet that she felt “fortunate” to have been outside at the time the rocket flew overhead.
“I love that we witnessed history being made,” the Palmetto Hall resident said.
What are NASA’s plans?
The Artemis II is part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to “advance American Leadership in space,” according to a press release.
NASA plans to build a base on the moon and “establish an enduring presence,” that includes long-term human habitation, the release says.
