Representative Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) gushed like a kid in a candy store discussing the Artemis II space mission during a recent appearance on Fox Business's Mornings with Maria.
The craft is expected to splash down near San Diego later this week.
"It has been an amazing week here in Florida," Rep. Haridopolos beamed. "This proves that NASA is back," he said, further lauding NASA Administrator Jason Isaacman as having "hit the ground running."
"What a spectacular mission, where all Americans are coming back together, and to recognize the power of our space industry and how it is feeling, not just to go back to the Moon, but our economy is growing," he noted.
Rep. Haridopolos said that "America needs to dominate the Moon," suggesting that "we are going to be launching rockets from the Moon going to Mars in our lifetime. It is going to be incredible, and that will lead to incredible technological changes. Not just reducing energy costs, but of course, changing the way we live every day for the better. It is a great investment, and we all get to celebrate [that] America can do anything."
Last February, the Florida congressman chaired a Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee hearing on the Artemis space program and future missions, discussing how the program was coming along and asking, "How can the US continue to leverage commercial partnerships to outpace international rivals in lunar exploration and beyond?" he questioned.
George Washington University's Dr. Scott Pace, one of the hearing witnesses, emphasized that international and private partners are necessary for the current age, compared with the Apollo program.
Artemis II is one of the first in a series of missions under the Artemis designation to put humans back on the Moon for long-term study, with the goal of establishing a precedent for manned missions to Mars someday.
