NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County plays key role in Artemis II launch

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV) — Artemis II is officially on its way to circle the moon. A watch party was held at Infinity Science Center in Hancock county on Wednesday, just steps away from Stennis Space Center, which played a vital role in making the historic moment possible.

Artemis II blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida – the beginning of a 10 day mission around the moon. Four astronauts are on board the rocket, making this the first manned moon mission since 1972. The crew is expected to travel farther from earth than any humans before, potentially setting a new distance record.

Those in attendance at the watch party said they were excited to see this historic launch.

“I’m old enough to remember when man walked on the moon, and I’m super excited that we’re getting to this point where we’re gonna be able to do it again,” said LeAndra Beckemeyer.

NASA’s Stennis Space Center here at home has had a hand in the mission’s success so far, as the facility tested all four of the rocket’s RS-25 engines.

During that testing process, each engine was fired in Hancock County for eight and a half minutes — the approximate amount of time it would fire during a real launch. As for the official launch, a crowd of excited children came to watch as the rocket roared into the sky – an unforgettable moment they had never experienced before.

This is just the beginning, as NASA says they will continue sending Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore the moon for scientific discovery and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to mars.