13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

Episode 4: Launch after-party

Air Date: April 2, 2026
Podcast: BBC World Service
Hosts: Maggie Aderin, Tim Peake
Guests: Kristin Fisher (US Space Journalist), Rebecca Morelle (BBC Science Editor)

Episode Overview

This episode captures the exhilaration, relief, and behind-the-scenes stories in the immediate aftermath of Artemis II’s successful launch—the first crewed mission aiming to loop around the Moon in over fifty years. The hosts and guests recount their personal reactions, the tension and drama of launch day, share memorable moments, and break down the critical first twenty-four hours in orbit for Orion’s crew. Listeners hear first-person accounts from the launch site, technical explanations of pre-launch glitches, a run-through of the crew’s first tasks in space, and a look ahead to the crucial trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn that will send the crew on their journey around the Moon.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emotional and Historic Launch Experience

• Launch Party Atmosphere

  • Kristin Fisher (on-site): “There was so much cheering, so much excitement. I think I'm honestly just still a bit in shock that humans are now finally on their way back to the moon after all this time.” (02:00)
  • Maggie Aderin (watching with family): “We were jumping around the room and I put on my moon dress ... It does seem unbelievable.” (02:17)
  • Tim Peake: “It's far easier to sit on top of a rocket than to watch a rocket launch when you know the people involved.” (02:36)

• Legacy and Continuity

  • Fisher recalls the end of the Shuttle era and contrasts the sadness of lost capability with the joy of this return (07:37):

    “To feel that sadness on that day and then feel the joy of, we—finally, we being Earthlings—are now in the business of going back to the moon. Man, that contrast, I am just... I'm feeling it today.” (07:37)

• Firsthand Report from Kennedy Space Center

  • Rebecca Morelle delivers a heartfelt “postcard” from the pad, describing the launch’s physical impact and emotional weight:

    “You could actually feel the force of it moving through your body ... it really is something special to be here in person to watch it.” (04:37)

    • She highlights the last-minute fixes: “...problems with the flight termination system... then they found an issue with the battery on the launch abort system ... that was deemed to be okay too.”
    • “The astronauts are finally on their way to the moon. It was a real privilege to see the most powerful rocket that NASA’s ever built blast off.” (06:48)

2. Countdown and Launch Technical Details

• Problems Resolved in Real Time

  • Flight Termination System Loss:
    • Tim Peake: “If you can't actually destroy the rocket in those circumstances, then that's no go. So it was critical that they reestablish this communication link...”
    • Resolved by falling back on Shuttle-era hardware. (09:53)
  • Launch Abort System Battery Issue:
    • Maggie Aderin: “It seemed to be well out of the acceptable range... but was it really the battery, or faulty instrumentation? ... They worked out it probably wasn’t the battery itself.” (10:52)

• Professionalism Under Pressure

  • “I was so impressed by the entire NASA team yesterday ... maybe this cadence ... really increasing the cadence of these moon missions, maybe it really is possible this time.” — Kristin Fisher (03:38)
  • “It wasn't too much go fever, it was a really good balance between, sure, we got a few problems... but we’re determined to go.” — Tim Peake (03:09)

3. Human Perspective & First-Day-in-Space Challenges

• A New Kind of Test Flight

  • Tim Peake: “Artemis 2 is a test flight, and we have humans on board. And a lot of these problems are the ones that the humans are identifying.” (15:32)
  • Examples include comfort-levels with the temperature, microphone adjustments, and dealing with early anomalies.

• Minor but Important In-Flight Anomalies

  • Toilet malfunction:
    • Kristin Fisher: “If there had been an issue with the toilet ... they wouldn’t be able to go to the moon. Luckily, it was fixed by the incredible engineer and mission specialist Christina Koch.”
    • “My mother ... big contribution: to ... actually put a toilet in!” (13:24)
  • Water valve glitch: “One of the water valves closed ... likely that the force of the launch probably caused this to shut and cut itself off.” — Maggie Aderin (15:01)
  • Crew comfort:
    • Christina Koch reports it “feeling a little bit chilly in Integrity,” and requests to raise the temperature and retrieve long-sleeve shirts. (23:00)
  • Communication Check: Playful troubleshooting with the handheld mics:

    “Is this thing on? Is this thing on?” — Kristin Fisher (24:35)
    “Where are my pajamas? And am I speaking into the right end of the mic?” — Tim Peake (24:40)

• Docking Demonstration

  • The crew tests manual control and maneuverability post-launch—a key practice for future Moon landings.
  • Tim Peake: “This is why helicopter pilots make the best astronauts... because we’re very used to flying things in six axes.” (17:14)
  • Kristin Fisher: “That maneuver is so important because it is what’s setting up the spacecraft for docking ... in a future mission ... Orion would dock with a human landing system.” (16:35)

4. Looking Ahead: Critical Decisions and Milestones

• The TLI “Go/No Go”

  • Crew spends first day in orbit checking all systems before making the crucial call for the trans-lunar injection burn.
  • Fisher: “They were woken up after a few hours of sleep with music—a nod to Apollo traditions.” (19:23)
  • Tim Peake: “Right now they’ve just passed that point of 70,000 kilometers, which is the furthest that humans have ever been since 1972. But they’re not going to the Moon right now—they’re going to fall back toward Earth ... then comes the perigee burn for TLI.” (19:50)
  • If any system fails, they can delay another 24 hours or abort and return home. (21:00)

• All Eyes on the Data

  • Tim Peake: “They’ve just tested out the deep space network ... because they’ve gone so far away from Earth, beyond gps, beyond tactical data relay satellites ... So it’s a really busy time for the crew to find out all the information they need to give them the decision-making ability of go/no go for TLI.” (21:59)

5. Memorable Quotes and Notable Moments

• Crew to Mission Control:

  • “Houston integrity, good last jettison. Great view.” (13:07, mission audio)
  • “And we have a beautiful moon rise. We’re headed right at it.” (13:07)

• Personal Touches:

  • “To me, the Orion capsule integrity seems like a camper van and it’s going to go on an epic journey. But before you set off, you’re in Earth orbit, you’re testing out all the systems, just making sure everything works.” — Maggie Aderin (15:01)

• Technical Poise:

  • “The tests that they’ve been doing are all to give them that information, the vital information for the go/no go. So can we maneuver the spacecraft? Is the air conditioning systems working?” — Tim Peake (21:59)

• Reflections:

  • “I have to say there was one moment ... where I was holding my breath ... a loss of communication between Integrity and Houston ... but for a few moments there ... Houston was just transmitting in the blind.” — Tim Peake (25:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:13] Episode and hosts introduction; launch is replayed
• [02:00] On-the-ground launch party reactions and emotional reflections
• [04:37] Rebecca Morelle’s heartfelt "postcard" from Kennedy Space Center
• [09:53] Technical explanations: FTS glitch and abort system battery issue
• [13:07] Live comms from the capsule: “Great view... beautiful moonrise”
• [13:24] Toilet problem and history of space toilets
• [15:01] Water valve issue and other minor anomalies; human-centric concerns
• [16:35] Docking maneuver: rationale and astronaut perspectives
• [19:23] Apollo-style wakeup; orbital operations before TLI
• [21:59] Communications tests and preparations for the go/no go decision
• [23:00] Comms troubleshooting and playful human moments
• [25:13] Tim Peake on the temporary comms loss with Houston

Tone and Style

The episode is spirited, warm, and insightful—capturing both awe and nerdy satisfaction. The speakers’ excitement is infectious, ranging from personal analogies and family moments to deep technical appreciation for NASA’s work and the crew’s adaptability. There’s an inclusive, almost giddy feeling that the whole world is celebrating together.

Looking Ahead

In the next episode, the team hints at an interview with an engineer from the European Service Module. The Artemis II mission continues to promise both technical drama and very human moments as the crew readies for the next critical step: the translunar injection burn.

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