U.S. Space & Rocket Center celebrates Artemis II launch
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Hundreds of space enthusiasts gathered at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center on Wednesday night to celebrate a national and historic event.
Artemis II marks NASA’s first trip to the moon in 53 years. The shuttle has four astronauts that are now on a 10-day mission for a lunar fly around before returning to Earth.
And while the launch happened in Florida, Alabama had plenty of connections to the mission which is why a watch party was held in Huntsville.
Alabama’s connection to Artemis II
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center developed the Space Launch System used for the Artemis mission.
Huntsville’s L3Harris also contributed more than 100 critical elements to the project including:
- Propulsion systems that support every phase of flight
- Mission-critical avionics that control the launch vehicle
- Composite overwrapped pressure vessels that store gases for operating the vehicle and maintaining a breathable atmosphere for the crew
- The audio system that enables communication among the crew and with mission control
Artemis II crew member Christina Koch attended Space Camp here in Huntsville for five consecutive summers from 1992 to 1996.
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