Apollo and Artemis Astronauts Gather at Kennedy Space Center Gala

The Artemis Celebration Gala took place at Kennedy Space Center on Friday evening, November 6, ahead of NASA’s MAX POWER event. Attendees included Apollo astronauts Charlie Duke and Rusty Schweickart, members of the Artemis II and Artemis III crews, and engineers recognized for their Apollo-era work.

Key details

• Twenty-eight astronauts attended, including two Apollo veterans, alongside a Saturn V.
• Organizers honored Charlie Duke, an Apollo 16 moonwalker, and Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9’s lunar module pilot.
• JoAnn Morgan, Poppy Northcutt and Jay Honeycutt were among the Apollo-era engineers recognized.
• Artemis III crew members appeared onstage with Schweickart; backup Bob Hines represented Andre Douglas.
• A second panel featured Duke, Schweickart and members of the Artemis II crew. Commander Reid Wiseman discussed the crew’s lunar-mission experience with Duke.
• Victor Glover, an executive advisor to the president of Cal Poly, said he was focused on supporting the next generation of spacefarers.

The gala honored Apollo astronauts Charlie Duke and Rusty Schweickart.

Why it matters

The event connected the Apollo program’s lunar experience with preparations for Artemis missions. Artemis III’s planned lander test is described as a test of lunar-lander systems in Earth orbit, a role comparable to Apollo 9’s testing before later lunar missions.