Artemis II mission around the moon inspires new generation at New Hampshire watch party

It was an exciting night at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, New Hampshire where people of all ages gathered for an Artemis II launch watch party. 

For many in attendance, especially younger viewers, it was a moment that will stay with them forever. 

"It was really cool," Jason Houdagba said. While his older brother Ancel described the launch as unforgettable. "It was like I'm part of history. Like a once-in-a-lifetime moment," he said.

Parents said the historical significance of the moment made attending the watch party a must.

"It's so important for our girls to see. It's great that there's a female astronaut on the team," said Concord mother Pooja Khatri. 

Kathleen Gora said she brought her daughter to the watch party to reflect on how rare it is to witness something like this in real time. 

"It's just amazing," she said. "You hear things when my parents were growing up and now, she's going to be able to see history being made and tell her kids and her grandkids how she watched this." 

Artemis II marks the start of a 10-day mission that will send four NASA astronauts several thousands of miles beyond the moon. The last time NASA sent astronauts to the moon was in 1972.

Watching the blastoff with her daughter, Thia, Khatri told WBZ she hopes moments like this will inspire the next generation to dream big.

"I wanted Thia to see that the possibilities are literally endless," she said. "She can get to the moon; she can get even further and all she has to do is want it."