Humans Return to Moon After 50 Years on Artemis II

After 50 years of waiting, humans are heading back to the moon, and even the most seasoned space reporters couldn't contain their excitement.

Roger Guillemette has watched rockets tear through Florida's skies since 1975, but when NASA's Artemis II lifted off on April 1 with four astronauts aboard, he found himself whispering "go, go" through tears just like he did as a college senior watching the first space shuttle launch in 1981. This time, the stakes felt even higher.

The press site at Kennedy Space Center buzzed with an energy Guillemette had never experienced in decades of covering launches. Grizzled veterans and newcomers alike gathered under bright television lights as major networks assembled their top teams to witness history unfolding.

The launch itself defied description. Still photos and video simply can't capture the sheer brilliance of the Space Launch System igniting, Guillemette reports. The white-orange plume beneath the rocket looked like staring directly at the sun, far more dazzling than any space shuttle he'd ever seen.

You don't just watch this rocket rise. You feel it shake the ground beneath your feet, its powerful thumping reverberating through your chest like a drumbeat announcing humanity's return to exploration.

The last time astronauts left the moon was December 1972, when Apollo 17's Gene Cernan and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt reluctantly departed the lunar valley of Taurus-Littrow. Guillemette remembers camping out in his friend's basement as a kid, watching that final Apollo mission on color television past midnight.

Why This Inspires

For younger generations, this is their Apollo 11 moment. For those who remember the moon race, it's proof that bold dreams don't have to stay in the past. What was old suddenly feels new again, as the Vehicle Assembly Building's huge American flag provided a backdrop to morning and evening newscasts covering the landmark event.

The moon has always been there, hanging impossibly large on autumn horizons and riding high on winter nights. It beckons us to stop and renew an old acquaintance with our closest neighbor in space.

Now, after generations of waiting, we're finally answering that call.