Jim Todd has taught astronomy at Portland Community College's Rock Creek campus since 2015, a career he traces to watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon as an eight-year-old in Nebraska.

Todd, who is also the director of space science education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and president of the Rose City Astronomers, has spent more than 40 years in space science education, according to a PCC profile published Sept. 8.

On the first day of every class, he opens with the same question: "What is your favorite astronomical memory?"

His own answer goes back to 1969. Todd recalled watching the Apollo 11 landing on a black-and-white television, saying the world stopped because no one had ever seen anything like it. He kept a poster of Apollo 8's "Earthrise" photograph framed on his wall as a child.

That early fascination became a career. Todd now teaches astronomy and a course called "The Solar System" at Rock Creek, where he said he can see and hear students becoming fascinated by the subject.

When NASA's Artemis II mission launched April 1 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Todd was watching again. The 10-day mission sent four astronauts around the far side of the moon. The crew included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, CNN reported. It was the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.

On launch day, Todd told KPTV Fox 12 Oregon the mission carried special weight, noting the crew included a woman astronaut heading to the moon aboard an entirely new vehicle system.

Todd told PCC that Artemis represents a return to human exploration, not just space travel, and a chance to learn how to work in that environment. He described the mission as something that gives people a sense of hope and something to look forward to.

He said he believes the Artemis program will spark new careers the way Apollo did for him.

"There's going to be another Jimmy like me who will see this and say, 'I'm really fascinated with this. I want to go study this. I want to get a career in this.'"

Residents interested in local astronomy can find upcoming events through the Rose City Astronomers. PCC Rock Creek's course schedule is available on the college's website.