North Carolina's Moon Mission Excitement

0:00North Carolina has got a big stake in the Artemis 2 mission, the first crewed flight toward the moon since Apollo. Four astronauts launched last week on a 10-day trip that will swing them around the lunar South Pole without landing. It's a huge step for NASA's pushback to the moon, and folks here are feeling the vibe deep. Raleigh astronomy club members have been buzzing nonstop about it. They've been part of free programs for years, earning badges and sharing photos from up close views at Kennedy Space Center. One member snagged a guest spot on NASA's East Causeway for the liftoff. Locals are hooked. Some streamed it at work, others stayed up to 3am, spotting the spacecraft from their driveways with telescopes. Childhood fans like Doug Lively, who's been in the club almost 30 years, say it hits like the Apollo days that thunder in your chest. Meanwhile, the crew marked Easter Sunday reviewing science spots for the flyby and testing high pressure suits. What folks caught video of the rocket stage trailing the ship across the sky, pure magic

1:01they didn't even see live. All this excitement points to the tech breakthroughs coming, lighting up the path for future moonwalks and beyond. North Carolina's locked in, watching every orbit. Local news, powered by AI. This is Durham News Today. I'm Corey with the story.