VERO BEACH — The countdown for Artemis II is on as four astronauts prepare to launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket to journey to the moon – a voyage that has not been performed in more than 50 years. Despite a forecast of partly cloudy skies, up to 400,000 people were expected to travel to the Space Coast in Brevard County to witness the historic launch in person.
NASA Astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor J. Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will launch in an Orion spacecraft atop the rocket. The launch was slated for no earlier than 6:24 p.m. Wednesday, April 1.
The astronauts will trek on a 10-day journey with the world watching. Here are some of the best places in Vero Beach to watch the Artemis II launch:
- Tracking Station Beachfront Park, 800 46th Place, Vero Beach
- Beachcomber Lane Beach Access, Indian River Shores
- Seagrape Trail Beach Access, Indian River Shores
- Wabasso Causeway Park, 1820 Wabasso Beach Road
- Golden Sands Park, 10350 Highway A1A, Indian River Shores
- Ambersand Beach Access, 12570 Highway A1A
- Turtle Trail Beach Access, 692 Ocean Road, Indian River Shores
- Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 Highway A1A
- Indian River County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 7955 58th Avenue
The temperature in Vero Beach was forecast to be in the upper 70s about the time of the launch, said Megan Tollefsen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. Wednesday will have a high of 80 degrees, Tollefsen said…