NASA ambassador Mark Benson hosts Artemis II launch watch party in Oak Park

Viewers of all ages in the Chicago area watched Wednesday evening as NASA's Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a nine-and-a-half-day journey around the moon and back. 

Author and NASA Ambassador Mark Benson hosted a watch party at the Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center in Oak Park.

Benson grew up in the era of NASA's space shuttle missions and is excited for the Artemis II mission to push the boundaries of space exploration.

"Now it's about going there and staying there, and using it as – maybe even literally – a launching pad for future missions farther into the solar system," he said.

There's lots of excitement for a new era in space travel, especially as it's being introduced to a new generation.

Kris McCall, director, of the Cernan Earth & Space Center at Triton College – which is named for astronaut Eugene Cernan, who was the last person to set foot on the moon – said while the Artemis II crew won't land on the moon, their journey is critical to ensure safe missions in the future.

"This particular mission, the crew will be testing safety systems, life support, a number of other things," McCall said. "And then, after this, it'll become more complex and more things to do."

Joyce Porter, of Oak Park, was among those watching from Oak Park as Artemis II launched on Wednesday. She said the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 was one of the biggest memories of her life.

"I was a camp counselor at that time, and I thought, 'Oh, we're not going to see it,' but someone came up with a TV, moved it into the recreation hall, and we all sat there and watched. It was so exciting," she said.

Benson hopes younger generations who look to the skies to see humans travel to the moon for the first time get inspired.

"One of the things I hope they take from it is that they can be a part of it," he said. "When I talk to these groups, I say, 'You're watching these four astronauts today, but when we're going to Mars, you could be in that rocket, you could be at NASA mission control, you could be doing all of these things involved, you are in the generation that's going to do this."

Artemis II lifted off at 5:35 p.m. CDT. 

If all goes according to plan, the crew — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — will get an unprecedented view of the far side of the moon and set a record for the farthest distance ever traveled from Earth: 252,000 miles.