ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A crowd gathered at the Fernbank Science Center on Monday to watch in awe as NASA’s Artemis II mission carried astronauts on a historic journey around the moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.
Inside the planetarium, families and children fixated on the live feed, witnessing a milestone in space exploration unfold in real time.
For 7-year-old Melan Quiring, the moment was both exciting and uncertain.
“I think it’s crazy and I don’t know if they will make it or not,” Melan said.
Experts at Fernbank said the mission represents more than a return to the moon; it signals a new era of international cooperation in space.
“It’s phenomenal to think about doing it in the manner in which we are doing it now because you’re looking at 20-some-odd countries that are working together on the Artemis mission, unlike the Apollo missions which was the United States vs. Russia,” Mark Lancaster, an astronomy instructional specialist at Fernbank, said.
Despite advances in technology since the Apollo era, the risks of space travel remain top of mind for many observers.
“The thing that strikes me is you have four people that are going to lose complete contact with the Earth around 6:45 this evening for an extended period of time and they will be literally by themselves,” Lancaster said.
Back on Earth, families said watching the mission together made the experience even more meaningful, especially for younger viewers.
“I think for my generation it’s really cool to see, but for our kids to see it and really believe these things are possible is just really amazing,” Anam Wahidi, a visitor, said.
As Artemis II completed its journey to and from the moon, educators and families alike said they hoped the mission would inspire the next generation of explorers.
“Victor Glover’s statements about looking back at the Earth as one, as one whole — and we all need to work together and be together — and this is all we’ve got here and we’re lucky to be here,” Lancaster said.
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