NASA veteran, 108, reflects on space progress leading up to Artemis II launch

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - As NASA prepares for its Artemis II mission, a Central Florida man who helped make the first moon landing possible is reflecting on decades of progress in space exploration.

More than half a century after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, Carl Roth, a former NASA engineer, is witnessing a new era of lunar exploration.

The backstory:

Roth, who worked on telemetry ground stations during the Apollo program, played a role in monitoring and checking spacecraft systems during early missions.

Now 108, Roth is witnessing what he describes as a full-circle moment as NASA prepares for the Artemis II mission, which is expected to send astronauts around the moon.

"I had the telemetry ground stations that were there primarily for check out of the spacecraft," Roth said.

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The setting is quieter than the launchpads of his past. Watching from his living facility, surrounded by family and friends, Roth compared the experience to earlier days of spaceflight.

"They’re all kind of noisy!" he said with a laugh, recalling the rumble of earlier launches.

As footage of modern rocket launches played, the room remained still, a contrast to the thunder of liftoff. Roth watched closely.

"Great… great," he said.

Roth believes missions like Artemis II will help drive the future of humanity, calling them a catalyst for progress.

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"It’s an effort to provide or make scientific marvels for our future," he said. "The more we accomplish now, the better our lives will be at a later time."

After more than a century of life, Roth said he never expected space exploration to advance this far. Now, he sees few limits ahead.

"I feel that we can do anything we want, as long as God wants us to have one of them, whatever it might be," he said.