Launch Day: A National Holiday in Florida

There is a specific kind of hum in the air today. If you are lucky enough to be from the Space Coast–– sitting at the bar in the Playa Linda Brewery the night before, surrounded by space enthusiasts from around the word, drinking and Artemis IPA while a Music Trivia of 80’s alternative spins in the background–– well…. it’s hard to describe. For us Floridians, it’s the heartbeat of the neighborhood. You feel it before you see it—that subtle, restless static in the humidity that says we’re about to punch a hole in the sky.

Honestly, it’s wild how the future has just become our Tuesday. Where else on Earth do you check the local news and get T-minus countdowns sandwiched right between the rip-current alerts and the afternoon thunderstorm track? It’s a surreal, beautiful way to live.

My mind keeps drifting back to 2018. I can still feel the grit of the Cape’s sand and the way the air literally rattled my chest when the Falcon Heavy took flight. Watching that Tesla Roadster—with “Starman” casually leaning against the door—climb into the blue was peak humanity. It’s crazy to think that while we’re down here drinking coffee and checking the weather, he’s still out there, drifting through the silent black, a permanent resident of the stars.

The engines are cooling on the pad, the countdown is ticking, and honestly? There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

Artemis Launch time today is at

Today, at 6:24 EST.

All Eyes On Artemis II

Launch complex 39B
Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)

Years ago, I was wandering through an antique shop along the Treasure Coast where I live and came across a bin filled with maps, posters of fish and other images. Buried at the bottom were two, hi-res images taken of Cape Canaveral: the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the other of launch complex 39B. What makes this launch pad so special is that it was used for the Apollo and Shuttle missions and now by SpaceX and the Artemis Missions.

The owner furrowed his brow when I brought them up to the counter. He was a space buff himself and didn’t know he had these, asking where I got them from. Fortunately for me, he got distracted by another customer and sold them to me before seeing what these images were actually of. The cool thing about the image of the VAB is that it has United States Bicentennial emblem. Since the paint looks relatively crisp and there is quite a bit of construction/activity in the foreground consistent with the Bicentennial Exposition, this shot was likely taken in 1976 or 1977.


Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and Goddess of the Moon. A fitting tribute for a mission focused on establishing a long-term presence on the lunar surface.

The rocket and Orion were rolled out to Launch Pad 39B just four days ago (March 20). NASA is currently targeting April 1, 2026, at 6:24 PM EDT for the first launch attempt.

If all systems are Go, we will watch four astronauts orbit the moon and return to Earth, using spacecraft never used before. Below is a link on BBC.com, which takes you through the the interactive parts of the ship.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-86aafe5a-17e2-479c-9e12-3a7a41e10e9e

The four-person crew was selected not just for their flight experience, but to represent a “global” approach to lunar exploration. As of today, March 24, 2026, they have already begun their pre-launch quarantine in Houston.

RoleAstronautBackground / Fun Fact
CommanderReid Wiseman (NASA)A naval aviator who previously spent 165 days on the ISS.
PilotVictor Glover (NASA)He will be the first person of color to go to the Moon.
Mission SpecialistChristina Koch (NASA)Holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman; she will be the first woman to go to the Moon.
Mission SpecialistJeremy Hansen (CSA)A colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and the first non-American to leave Earth’s orbit.

I will be watching the launch from my backyard looking north, where weekly SpaceX Starlink deployments rise through the cloudless skies. It never gets old and renews the excitement of reading Science Fiction as a teen, with each flight.

Godspeed!