SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (WHBL) -- You've got a rare chance to see a piece of space travel history, and a live trip to space this afternoon at Spaceport Sheboygan.
The Spaceport is hosting a live feed of today's launch from the Cosmodrome, which features a very special astronaut. "Wisconsin's next astronaut, Jeff Williams, will actually launch to the International Space Station where he'll spend six months up there." Williams is from Winter Wisconsin, and Spaceport Executive director Brian Ewenson says he joins a tradition of Badger State space pioneers.
The Spaceport will open up this afternoon for that launch, which gets underway at 4:26pm today. "It'll be an eight-and-a-half minute ride into orbit, and just over six hours later they'll dock to the International Space Station where he'll spend six months. And we're actually going to have that launch from Kazakhstan live on our big screen."
There's also a piece of lunar sample here in Sheboygan, which just arrived yesterday from Ohio. "This is only the second time in the history of Sheboygan that I'm aware of that a lunar sample has landed right here in Sheboygan. So it's a rare opportunity to see a piece of the moon." Ewenson says that will be on display all weekend and you can see it with your usual entry fee of $5.
You can find out more about the launch and all the other events going on this weekend by following the Spaceport's Facebook Page.