Arizona State Representative Justin Wilmeth marked the launch of a new lunar mission with a series of posts on April 1, 2026, expressing enthusiasm and reflecting on its historical significance.
In his first post at 22:29 UTC, Wilmeth wrote, “The terminal clock is officially counting down! Folks, we’re officially less than 10 minutes for our generation’s Apollo 8 – a trip to and around the Moon. What a huge moment! @NASAArtemis”.
Minutes later, at 22:32 UTC, he encouraged followers to tune in by posting, “Watch it!!! History in the making!!!”.
After the launch, Wilmeth reflected on its personal and national significance at 22:57 UTC: “What a momentous day in American history – we’re going back to the Moon!!! This is so entirely amazing. I was born in 1979, so I missed all of Apollo. One of my earliest historical memories was Challenger. I’ve always been a bit obsessed with space. So seeing this moment”.
Wilmeth, a Republican who was elected to represent Arizona’s 2nd House District in 2022 after succeeding Daniel Hernández Jr., frequently shares commentary on current events through his social media platforms.
The Artemis program referenced by Wilmeth represents NASA’s renewed effort to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions ended in the early 1970s. The original Apollo program included landmark events such as Apollo 8—the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon—and culminated with multiple lunar landings between 1969 and 1972.
