Aspiring metro Atlanta astronaut to meet Artemis II crew during "CBS Mornings" town hall Friday
An aspiring astronaut from suburban Atlanta will meet the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission on Friday during a "CBS Mornings" town hall celebrating the historic mission around the moon.
Five-year-old Jack Wineski of Tucker, Georgia, watched the April 1 launch from Space View Park in Titusville, Florida, with his parents and sister. Lauren Wilson, Wineski's mother, said they didn't tell Jack they were in Florida to watch the launch until hours before the crew lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
"They kept it a surprise," Wineski said.
Wilson said Jack was playing at the park for about 45 minutes before realizing where he was.
"We told you what was happening, and then you go, 'That's NASA over there!'" Wilson said.
During a special edition of "CBS Mornings" on Friday, co-host Gayle King and "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil will moderate "CBS Mornings Presents: Artemis II A Celebration of Heroes." Wineski, his parents, and special guests will meet astronauts Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman.
The town hall and CBS News' ongoing series, "Things That Matter," will connect the Artemis II crew with an audience of the next generation of space explorers. The astronauts will answer questions from students of NEST+m and M.S. 255 Salk School of Science, along with 2026 NASA HUNCH competition finalists from Frontier Central High School, Bergen County Technical School, and others.
The special will include appearances by Ron Howard, the award-winning director of "Apollo 13," and Bill Nye, "The Science Guy."
Wineski went viral after speaking with CBS News during its coverage of the Artemis II launch. His favorite toys and books about space include rockets, a Mars dig kit, and Artemis coloring books. He plans to bring his favorite toy rockets to the town hall.
"I know it's broken, but they'll still love to see it right?" Wineski said.
Wilson said her son's love for space started with a love for robots.
"We went through a big robot phase, and then we learned that there are robots on Mars, and that sort of opened up the door for us," Wilson said. "We've been reading all about space ever since."
The hour-long "CBS Mornings Presents" will air at 7:30 a.m. on CBS Atlanta and stream on Paramount+. The special edition of "Things That Matter" will be available on Friday, May 1, on Paramount+ and on CBS News digital platforms. On Saturday, May 2, the special will air on CBS News 24/7 at 9 p.m. The town hall will also be published on Free Press digital platforms.
