Dale Earnhardt Jr. was just trying to catch some sports on TV when history caught him off guard. He stumbled upon the Artemis II launch. After the launch, he took to Twitter and shared his genuine feelings.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Talks About the Artemis II Launch
The mission is a massive milestone. It’s because more than 50 years have passed since Apollo astronauts first set foot on the Moon. And that was back in July 1969. However, Artemis II won’t attempt a lunar landing.
Likewise, its four astronauts will spend roughly 10 days. And the mission is designed to pave the way for those future footsteps.
On that note, Earnhardt said, “I had no idea we were sending humans around the moon. Turned on my TV for some sports and there it was, 4 minutes from liftoff. Unreal.”
He also mentioned, “Proud moment. It was badass watching that rocket book it toward the stars. How in the hell did I not know this was happening today?” The crew will fly 6,400 miles beyond the far side of the Moon.
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It marks the very first time humans have ventured that deep since the Apollo era. That stretch alone makes the mission historic.
But the scientific work doesn’t stop there. There will be a three-hour window near the Moon’s far side. During that time, astronauts will analyze and photograph geological features.
It also includes ancient impact craters and lava flows. So, it will directly support future missions targeting the lunar South Pole region.
Meanwhile, studies of the crew’s health during the mission will help NASA understand how deep-space travel affects the human mind and body. That research is critical, not just for future Moon missions. It will also assist with eventual crewed trips to Mars.
The crew will be the first to fly aboard NASA’s Space Launch System and the Orion capsule together, a combination tested during Artemis I in 2022. It flew for 25 days around the Moon without any humans on board. Now, the astronauts are very much at the center of it all.
If the crew safely completes this trip around the Moon, NASA’s goal is for Artemis IV and V to become actual lunar landing missions, both targeted for 2028. That is an ambitious timeline.
It’s because a lander still needs to be selected, built, and tested. So, there are ongoing delays with the spacesuit that future moonwalkers will wear.
Looking further ahead, later Artemis missions include plans for a lunar space station called Gateway, which will orbit the Moon. On top of that, it will include the eventual construction of a permanent Moon base.
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Hadfield, a former International Space Station commander, said he watched the launch with “amazement, excitement, and gratitude” as four friends risked their lives aboard a brand new spacecraft.
“In the history of humanity, our entire species, there have only ever been 24 people… that have gone fast enough to be able to leave the orbit of the Earth and go to the Moon,” Hadfield said.
And somewhere, Dale Earnhardt Jr. accidentally caught the whole thing live. He is reminding the world that history has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it.
