MORRISON, Colo. — A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the Artemis II flight crew visit to Red Rocks was fully booked by over 6,000 ticket holders in under 10 minutes.
Morrison
Artemis II crew to speak at Red Rocks Amphitheater in August
Back in April, four astronauts launched off Earth for a 10-day mission in space. The group included the first female and first black astronaut to travel to the moon. NASA reported that around 29.5 million people watched the launch on livestream.
This mission was the first crewed flight on the Orion spacecraft, an 11-foot vessel primarily designed in Colorado by Lockheed Martin engineers. NASA plans to use Orion for all Artemis missions, including possible travel to Mars. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said they want the Artemis missions to be the Apollo of a new generation over 50 years after the final mission that put the first man on the moon.
National News
Four astronauts splash down following 10-day mission around the moon
But the Artemis II crew’s success went beyond the test flight, inspiring people back on Earth to turn their eyes toward the stars.
That includes many ticket holders to the Aug. 3 Artemis II event at Red Rocks like Kristen Lanning and her 5-year-old daughter, Josie Lanning.
Even though the two were overseas during the initial ticket sale and weren’t able to reserve tickets, Lanning said she tried her hand on the resale market. She said Josie was her inspiration to keep searching.
“I think having my daughter and wanting to expose her to new heroes and new leaders, especially female leaders, and seeing that this Artemis crew was made up of a diverse group of people was exciting,” she said. “I think it reinvigorated this interest in space and space travel.”
That appears to be part of a wider trend. The Denver Astronomical Society said there's normally a jump in web traffic to the website around any major space-related events. The Artemis II launch was no exception.
“Our web site stats show a bump in additional traffic for the month of March and more in April that has remained steady,” media and technology point person Toby Sheets told Denver7. “As a matter of fact, traffic has actually been increasing since then.”
In a graph he shared, July traffic more than doubled March’s. Sheets said the society also saw an increase in members in April and a steady increase in social media engagement since the launch.
The Artemis II flight crew took the stage at Red Rocks at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Gates opened at 8:00 a.m. for a STEM fair featuring Colorado science and technology industry leaders like Lockheed Martin and interested groups like the Denver Astronomical Society.
- Watch as Denver7's Alex Dowd reports live from Red Rocks at the STEM fair, in the video player below.
Related coverage:
- Artemis II crew to speak at Red Rocks Amphitheater in August
- President Trump hosts Artemis II Astronauts at White House
- Four astronauts successfully return to Earth after a 10-day mission around the moon in Orion spacecraft
- Heat shield data from Artemis II could define timeline of future lunar missions
- Colorado's connection to NASA's upcoming Artemis II moon mission
