CBS News’ Rob Marciano reports from Space View Park, where a huge crowd gathered to watch the Artemis II launch.
“It was a roller coaster,” Rob Marciano said. “Probably over 200,000 people lined this side of the lagoon and looked across the way four, five, six miles to watch this thing go up. It was a long afternoon of waiting and watching, hearing the delays, thinking about the weather and seeing showers come through. And then it happened. For a lot of people that traveled across the country, it was well worth it.”
Marciano spoke with families who had traveled overnight to see the launch. One family from Colorado Springs said they arrived late the previous night to secure a spot. “Oh, totally,” the mother said when asked if the trip had been worth it. “Just historical moment. Seeing it with the kids and seeing it through their eyes is just priceless.”
Their children reacted with excitement. Adelaide called the launch “the coolest thing” she’d ever seen and said the experience inspired her to want to work in mission control someday. Another child, Carlia, said she might want to be an astronaut, though she admitted it looked daunting. Marciano noted the communal feeling among the tens of thousands who came to share the moment of awe and joy.
Tony Dokoupil of CBS News introduced the scene at Space View Park, describing the celebration that continued after liftoff. The crowd endured delays and weather concerns but ultimately cheered as the Artemis II mission cleared the pad — a milestone drawing massive public interest and families who prioritized the launch over normal schedules to witness history in person.