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NASA’s first lunar trip in decades stole the spotlight at a Florida softball game Wednesday night as players from both teams paused in amazement as four astronauts embarked on a journey around the moon.
Florida Gators utility player Madison Walker pointed skyward and Stetson University freshman Gaby Bauer stood at home plate in awe as the Artemis II lunar rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center just before 1 p.m.
After the tension subsided, No. 7 Florida went on to beat its in-state rival 8-2, marking the Gators’ 14th straight win over Stetson dating back to 2006. (IMAGN/AP Newsroom)
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The game at Patricia Wilson Field in DeLand, Florida, was just an hour away from the launch site, but the rocket could still be seen hurtling through the sky on a trip expected to last about 10 days.
After the tension subsided, No. 7 Florida went on to beat its in-state rival 8-2, marking the Gators’ 14th straight win over Stetson dating back to 2006.
NASA’s Artemis II lunar rocket lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-B in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on April 1, 2026. (Chris O’Meara/AP)
TALLEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER, STANDING AT 7-FOOT-9, ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL
Meanwhile, the historic lunar journey captivated most of the country on Wednesday.
Three Americans and a Canadian took off from the Kennedy Space Center for the moon some 248,000 miles away. The crew will cruise past the moon another 4,000 miles before making a U-turn and returning home.
Astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover participate in a welcoming ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 27, 2026 ahead of the Artemis II mission launch scheduled for April 1, 2026. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP)
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