13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

Episode 2: Rocket Man

BBC World Service – March 31, 2026
Hosts: Maggie Aderin & Tim Peake
Guests: Kristin Fisher (Space Journalist), John Blevins (NASA SLS Chief Engineer)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the final countdown before NASA’s historic Artemis II mission—the first crewed journey around the Moon in over 50 years. The hosts explore the excitement at Kennedy Space Center, the mechanics and engineering behind the Space Launch System (SLS), and the transformation of the Space Coast as Artemis ushers in a new era. The standout segment features John Blevins, chief engineer for SLS, sharing both technical and human insights into the rocket’s design, its performance, and the realities of launching people farther than any humans have traveled before.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Scene at Kennedy Space Center

• Kristin Fisher reports live: Buzzing with anticipation, Florida’s Space Coast is packed as launch day approaches. Traffic and even presidential appearances are topics of speculation.
• All hotels are booked, restaurants have long waits, and thousands of journalists are on-site. (03:22)
• White House sources confirm President Trump will monitor from Washington, not attend in person, avoiding further traffic chaos. (03:28)

“It is truly electric... This is all that anybody on the Space coast is talking about.” — Kristin Fisher [03:22]

Artemis II Launch Pad Readiness

• SLS Rocket: The largest rocket NASA has ever commissioned, making only its second liftoff and first with a crew. (02:21)
• Atmospheric confidence: NASA is unusually upbeat; 80% 'go' weather status. (04:42)
• The official countdown clock started—a visual indicator of mission momentum. (04:50)
• Only a minor technical issue (a backup pilot light) is being resolved. Weather is now the chief concern.

Infrastructure & 'New Era' at the Space Coast

• Launchpad 39B and the enormous SLS impress Kristin; she reflects on the evolving ‘skyline’ with SpaceX’s Starship facility now prominent. (06:06)
• The sense of a new epoch prevails as government launches and private space players coalesce on the coast.

“There is just this sense that... this really is the dawning of a new era here along the Florida Space Coast.” — Kristin Fisher [07:03]

Pre-Launch Operations

• Unique to this mission: No final ‘wet dress rehearsal’ fueling; the next fueling is the actual launch. (07:31)
• Tomorrow, pre-launch tanking begins—a stage notorious for surfacing technical gremlins due to supercooled, ‘escape-artist’ fuel molecules. (07:53)
• Current focus: Powering hardware, prepping communication links, and chilling systems for liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellant. (08:35)

“If the gremlins are going to come out, that's when they'll... stick out their ugly little heads.” — Kristin Fisher [09:22]

SLS: Safety & Engineering Details

• Artemis II’s crew capsule—Orion—named “Integrity,” rides atop a European-built service module. (10:11)
• Launch abort system at the tip: Can instantly pull the crew to safety in emergencies. (09:57)
  • Contrasted with the Space Shuttle, which had no such abort option for astronauts.
• Tim Peake recounts the real-life use of an abort system on Soyuz MS-10 (2018)—an incident that safely saved two astronauts, highlighting the value of redundancy. (10:50)

G-Forces & Astronaut Training

• Tim Peake explains launch and abort G-loads (up to 9G in training), describing the intense physical challenge. (11:59)

“You think you're going to take a nice deep breath and actually, you get a tiny amount of air in your lungs because you're being crushed by nine times your body weight.” — Tim Peake [12:53]

SLS Scale and Power

• SLS stands ~98 meters (taller than Big Ben), and weighs 2,600 tons at launch. (13:57)
• It is the most powerful rocket since Saturn V, largely due to voluminous tanks needed for liquid hydrogen. (13:57)

Interview: John Blevins, NASA SLS Chief Engineer

Begins [14:51]

SLS Reuse, Evolution, and Rationale

• Four RS-25 engines (heritage from the Shuttle era) power SLS. NASA is using the remaining 16 engines, now souped up for Artemis—pushing them to 109% of original power, because they are not reusable on these flights. (15:48)
• The choice to reuse proven Shuttle-era hardware (boosters, engines) balances performance, cost, and existing manufacturing capability. Extra solid rocket booster segments offer more thrust for the higher-energy lunar mission. (17:25)

“Those are hot rods, those are high performance engines... hydrogen is the best molecule on the planet for accelerating.” — John Blevins [17:56]

Artemis I Performance

• The Artemis I uncrewed test (2022) achieved a “bullseye” on velocity target—within 99.97% of planned velocity, described as a perfect engineering outcome. (18:54)

“We hit our velocity at that location within 99.97%. So... just on target. That is a perfect bullseye.” — John Blevins [19:05]

How the Launch Sequence Unfolds

• At launch, most thrust comes from the solid boosters (80%). (20:12)
• Dynamic, high-stress moments include 'transonic’—when shockwaves hit the rocket as it breaks the sound barrier—then booster separation, and throttle adjustments to manage loads and maximize efficiency. (20:12)

What Happens to the SLS Post-Launch?

• SLS is fully expendable—unlike Falcon rockets or the Shuttle, no major pieces are recovered. The focus was on maximum performance to make lunar missions possible, rather than reusability. (22:42)
• Parachute recovery and reuse would require weight penalties and are only viable for higher flight rates (as Shuttle once did).
• Long-term, NASA will keep evaluating reusability as Moon missions become routine.

“For 53 years, nations have aspired to go back to the moon. And this is the first machine set and the first mission design that's capable of doing that in those 53 years.” — John Blevins [23:29]

Weather Constraints for Launch

• SLS is robust in most weather—primary limits are wind direction, and astronaut abort scenarios (e.g., avoiding storms or high seas for splashdown).
• Crew safety in every abort possibility across the globe is coordinated between Houston and the pad. (24:27)

Human Side: The Engineering Team’s Feelings

• John reflects on the rare privilege of sending astronauts to the Moon and the camaraderie among the engineering team.

“There are very few moments where it comes together like this, where we send people back to the moon... It ends with a lot of joy in the relationships with the colleagues.” — John Blevins [25:57]

Fun Question: What Would John Bring as a ‘Luxury Item’?

• John chooses his camera, which coincidentally matches the model the crew will use in space, symbolizing a wish to visually capture these historic moments. (26:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I love the idea of the countdown clock, you know, ticking down those seconds.” — Maggie Aderin [05:51]
• “The skyline is rapidly changing... there is just this sense that... this really is the dawning of a new era here along the Florida Space Coast.” — Kristin Fisher [07:03]
• “If the gremlins are going to come out, that's when they'll... stick out their ugly little heads.” — Kristin Fisher [09:22]
• “You think you're going to take a nice deep breath and actually, you get a tiny amount of air in your lungs because you're being crushed by nine times your body weight.” — Tim Peake [12:53]
• “That is a perfect bullseye in terms of our ability... very proud of the team that put the machine together, understood the latency, understood the software.” — John Blevins [19:09]
• “For 53 years, nations have aspired to go back to the moon. And this is the first machine... capable of doing that in those 53 years.” — John Blevins [23:29]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Atmosphere at Kennedy Space Center: 03:22–04:42
• Countdown Clock and Prelaunch Activities: 04:42–09:40
• Engineering & Safety (Abort System): 09:57–13:30
• SLS Scale & Fueling Challenges: 13:54–14:51
• Interview with John Blevins Begins: 14:51
• Shuttle-era RS-25 Engines, Reuse and Modifications: 15:48–17:25
• Solid Rocket Boosters, Design Choices: 17:25–18:47
• Artemis I Performance Recap: 18:54–19:44
• Launch Dynamics Explained: 20:12–21:59
• SLS Post-Launch, Reusability Initiatives: 22:42–24:12
• Weather Constraints: 24:12–25:43
• Engineers' Emotional Reflections: 25:43–26:35
• Luxury Item Question: 26:35–27:17

Summary Takeaways

• Artemis II is set to revive crewed lunar exploration, riding atop the largest and most powerful NASA rocket since the Apollo era.
• The excitement on the Space Coast reflects the historic significance, while the interviews and technical explanations provide listeners with a deeper understanding of launch preparations and the immense engineering behind SLS.
• The episode blends hard science with human emotion, capturing both the technological leap and the personal thrill of those making history.
• Artemis II is on-track for launch, with weather as the final wildcard, and a world-class team standing by for humanity’s next great leap.