The Crew Of Artemis II Launched Into Space On April 1st
Christian and country singer Anne Wilson had the honor of performing the National Anthem prior to the Artemis II launch at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday (April 1st).
Artemis II is NASA’s first manned mission to travel around the moon in over 50 years. The four-person crew consists of astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
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The crew will not be landing on the moon. Their mission is more of a “test flight” to lay the groundwork for a potential moon landing in the coming years.
However, the crew has the chance to set a record while in space. USA Today reports that during their 10-day mission, they may travel up to 250,000 miles from Earth. If they reach that threshold, they will surpass the longstanding record set by Apollo 13, which traveled 248,655 miles from Earth.
Artemis II launched into space at 6:35:12 PM EDT on April 1st. Upon liftoff, Derrol Nail, the broadcaster on NASA’s livestream of the event, said, “The crew of Artemis II, now bound for the moon, humanity’s next great voyage begins.”
Anne Wilson Delivers Stellar National Anthem Performance At Artemis II Launch
Since the launch was such a historic event, there was a lot of excitement and celebration. Kennedy Space Center sold tickets to watch the launch from its visitor complex, and they sold out.
Many more watched the launch from other locations in Florida, while millions tuned in to the NASA and major news networks’ broadcasts.
To celebrate the launch, 24-year-old Christian artist Anne Wilson (not Ann Wilson of Heart) sang the National Anthem at Kennedy Space Center.
Dressed in a glittery gown with star embellishments, Wilson performed the Anthem alongside an acoustic guitarist. Artemis II could be seen in the background as Wilson sang next to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
The VAB has a famously large American flag painted on the side. The flag is 209 feet high and 110 feet wide. Each star measures 6 feet across, and each stripe is 9 feet wide.
Wilson reflected on the moment in a post she shared on Facebook. She wrote:
“What an incredible honor it was to sing the National Anthem at the Artemis II launch!!! This moment feels so full circle for me. There was a time in my life when I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and working for @nasa.“
Her childhood dream inspired the name of her latest album, Stars, and its accompanying title track. Some of the lyrics go, “thought I’d be an astronaut, land on the moon, but life happened fast, and I grew up too soon.”
Wilson explained how her “path” changed after a “deep loss” in her family. That was the loss of her brother, Jacob, who was killed in a car accident at age 23. Wilson was only 15 years old at the time. She sang at his funeral, which eventually led her to pursue a career in music.
But now, Wilson got the chance to be part of a rocket launch…just in a different way than she imagined growing up.
“…standing here now, getting to be a small part of something so historic, I’m just overwhelmed by God’s goodness,” she wrote. “He writes stories far greater than we could ever imagine, and I’m so grateful to be living in His [story].“
You can see the post Wilson shared below, which includes a clip from her performance.
The World Reacts To Anne Wilson’s National Anthem Performance
With the whole world watching the launch, Wilson’s National Anthem performance generated global buzz. She received hundreds of comments on her Facebook post alone, with some of the reactions being.
“Oh Anne Wilson this brought tears to my eyes as I thought about you and your brother watching the stars.“
“The connection with your childhood desire to be an astronaut is a really sweet full circle.”
“Absolutely stunning! Such a beautiful, classy young woman. Thank you, Anne Wilson!“
“What a cool opportunity for you! They couldn’t have chosen a better person.”
“Absolutely beautiful!! Your brother would be so proud of you!! You have God given talent!“
“Wow! You nailed it and you look so beautiful! I’m so happy for you to have this opportunity! God is good!“
“That Is How It’s Supposed To Be Sung!!! Great Job.“
“One of the best versions I’ve ever heard absolutely beautiful.“
“What an honor! We enjoyed hearing you perform in Manvel, Texas! You blessed our week!“
“Amazing & you look beautiful! Glad it was a surreal moment for you.”
Anne Wilson sang approximately three hours before Artemis II launched. If you missed her performance, you can watch the entire thing in the video below.
What did you think of her rendition of the National Anthem?
