- The first launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, Artemis I, is scheduled for August 29.
- Florida’s Space Coast officials expect at least 100,000 visitors for the launch’s first window.
- Artemis I will be an uncrewed mission. Its success will spur NASA to send astronauts to the surface of the Moon after 2024.
BREVARD COUNTY, Florida – Hotels sold out. An excitement that seems to grow day by day. The potential for hundreds of thousands of visitors, support staff and more.
These are just some of the factors considered in preparations for Artemis I, the first launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, scheduled for August 29. launching from Florida’s Space Coast for years – bringing with it a level of excitement to match.
In total, Space Coast officials expect at least 100,000 visitors for the rocket’s first window, which includes opportunities on August 29, September 2 and September 5 (Labor Day). Currently, T-0 on August 29 is set for 8:33 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The rocket is part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to put humans back on the moon within this decade. It begins with the Artemis I uncrewed mission and its plan to take an Orion capsule on a four to six week trip to the moon and back. Artemis II will do the same with the astronauts, then Artemis III will put two astronauts on the surface after 2024.
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Fully booked hotels, Space Coast tourism
The Space Coast is no stranger to launch day crowds. During the space shuttle era that unfolded in 2011, half a million or more visitors sometimes flooded the area, scooping up hotel rooms and packing up local businesses.
Since then, the crowds have been smaller, but still large. Even at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands still flocked to Brevard County, Florida to see the launches.
Some of the recent SpaceX Crew Dragon launches, which take astronauts to the International Space Station from KSC, have attracted between 100,000 and 250,000 visitors, according to Peter Cranis, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism. It wouldn’t be a stretch to expect over 100,000 for Artemis I.
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“I think crewed launches and these Artemis launches are going to be of equal interest to people,” Cranis said. “I would definitely expect over 100,000, if not more, to come for this.”
A simple glance at hotel room listings shows rapidly dwindling supply among those that have not been sold.
The space-themed Courtyard by Marriott Titusville – Kennedy Space Center, for example, is one of the newest hotels in the area. Completed this year and open to the public in April, it offers views of the pads of KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and even has a specially designed rooftop “Space Bar” for launch viewing.
All rooms in the Courtyard, as well as the Space Bar, are sold out for Artemis I.
“Energy and Excitement”: Space Center Employees and Media Prepare for Liftoff
Spectators are not the only visitors expected on the Space Coast. Hundreds of members of the media from around the world have also signed up to cover the liftoff.
KSC’s public affairs team has confirmed that at least 700 media have signed up so far, a figure that dwarfs typical launches and is closer to the crowds seen during the Space Shuttle program. Heather Scott, spokeswoman for the Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45, said the military branch will also be involved in media management.
“The growing sense of energy and excitement that has gradually developed around Kennedy and among our staff over the past year is tangible,” said Mike Bolger, director of KSC ground exploration systems. “A sense of anticipation grows every day as we get closer to the launch of this incredible rocket and spacecraft.”
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From an employee perspective, launch day passes that can be used to bring personal vehicles — and family and friends — are highly sought after.
And it’s not just about watching on launch day: employees who don’t work directly on Artemis have been handling non-critical items for those who are, even going so far as to buy their lunch to save time.
“The excitement across the center is palpable,” said KSC Director Janet Petro. “You can see it in people’s faces, you can hear it in their voices, and when we all stand together with our eyes skyward on launch day, I don’t think there will be a feeling like that. in the world. “
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Artemis I launch windows
If SLS is unable to fly during the first window from late August to early September, teams have several other opportunities until the end of the year. Although a delay to the initial window will mean having to bring SLS and Orion back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for more work, which could mean shifts to the other launch opportunities in October, November or December.
Follow Emre Kelly on Twitter at @EmreKelly.
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