Astronomy enthusiasts outside Philadelphia celebrate Artemis II launch: "I am super, super happy"
Dozens gathered in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday evening to watch a historic moment unfold: the launch of the Artemis II rocket for the first lunar mission in over 50 years.
For many, the event — hosted by the Elkins Park Skywatchers — was about excitement and curiosity. For cofounder Hector Ybe, it was something more.
"I am super excited — I am super, super happy this is happening," Ybe said.
Ybe said his passion for space began as a child, and recalled the first time he looked through a telescope — a moment that inspired him to pursue astrobiology in school and eventually build a community around astronomy in his Montgomery County neighborhood.
Now, that community is gaining national recognition. In January, the group was accepted to NASA's "Night Sky Network" and hosted one of a limited number of official watch parties across the country for the Artemis II launch that were livestreamed nationwide.
During the event, cofounder Jason Barnhart helped explain the significance of the mission to attendees, calling it a global effort that will define a new era of space exploration.
"This will undoubtedly be the Artemis generation," Barnhart said.
But for some in the crowd, the moment was a reminder of the past.
"July 1969 — I was 9 years old," said Lilia Ana Collazo, Ybe's mother.
Collazo recalled watching the Apollo 11 moon landing at her cousin's house with her family in Miami, describing a quiet room focused on a television that many households at the time did not even have in color.
"There was absolute silence to hear what we were seeing on TV," she said.
Now, decades later, she watched her son help lead a new generation through a similar experience.
That sense of wonder was on full display in 5-year-old Avery Acevedo, who attended the event wearing an astronaut suit from her space-themed birthday party.
"We're looking at the launch," Avery said.
For Ybe, seeing children like Acevedo connect with space is at the heart of his mission.
"Every kid here, I see myself in," he said.
He also said representation matters, noting the diversity of the Artemis II crew.
"That's what NASA is showing — having the first woman going so far to the moon, the first Black man — someone who looks like me — is going also in this journey," Ybe said.