Apple News Today: NASA’s $100 Billion Bet on the Moon Is About to Launch

March 31, 2026
Host: Cecilia Ley (with reporting by Shumita Basu and guests)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a fast-paced rundown of major news stories, anchored by a special focus on NASA's imminent moon mission—the agency’s first crewed return beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo. The hosts break down the stakes, technology, and historic "firsts" of the Artemis 2 mission, set against the backdrop of shifting geopolitics and renewed international space rivalry. Alongside, the episode covers escalating US-Iran tensions, immigration court overhauls under President Trump, and Celine Dion's musical comeback.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NASA’s New Lunar Mission – Artemis 2

The Big Launch

• NASA is preparing for its first lunar flyby mission in over 50 years, sending a crew of four astronauts around the moon without landing.
• “The countdown is on. Tomorrow, NASA launches a groundbreaking lunar mission.” (A, 00:05)
• Liftoff scheduled for March 31 at 6:24pm ET.

History in the Making

• First time astronauts have traveled beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
• Artemis 2 is described as a "dress rehearsal" for a moon landing targeted in 2028. (B, 05:23)

Notable Crew & Milestones

• Victor Glover: first Black astronaut in deep space near the moon.
• Christina Koch: first woman to fly this deep into space.
• Jeremy Hansen: first Canadian to take this journey.
• “They'll be making a lot of firsts on this mission.” (B, 05:36)

Mission Profile

• 10-day mission, looping around the moon with a close approach of ~4,000–6,000 miles to the lunar surface.
• Brief loss of contact expected while crew swings behind the moon.
• “If you look out the window of the capsule, it'll look like the size of a basketball in your outstretched hand.” (B, 06:11)

Strategic Significance

• Artemis marks a new space race, now against China, as both countries aim for the moon by decade’s end.
• US approach: “not flags and footprints...the goal is to stay.” (D/Jared Isaacman, 07:00)
• Artemis is a massive investment—$100 billion to date, with $20 billion earmarked for a permanent lunar base.

Commercial Competition

• Private companies SpaceX and Blue Origin are racing to supply lunar landers.
• “Isaacman has also said that whoever is ready first will be the ones to fly first. So he's kind of started a bit of a space race between the two companies.” (B, 07:35)

Table of Important Timestamps:

• [04:19] - Classic Apollo nostalgia; launch countdown audio snippet.
• [05:03] - Live quote from astronaut Reid Wiseman.
• [05:16] - Reporting with Lauren Grusch, space reporter.
• [07:00] - Jared Isaacman on Artemis' long-term goals.
• [08:05] - Launch time announced.

2. US-Iran Tensions Escalate

Renewed Threats and Escalation

• President Trump threatens Iranian infrastructure; Iran responds strongly.
• Trump repeats threat to attack Harg Island, a major oil hub.
• “Excessive, unrealistic, and irrational. That was the verdict from Iran yesterday on President Trump’s 15-point proposal...” (A, 00:18)

Diplomatic Stalemate

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims direct and indirect talks are ongoing, but the stance remains hardline.
• “There’s messages and some direct talks going on between some inside of Iran and the United States, primarily through intermediaries...” (D, 02:27)

Regional Perspectives

• Gulf states, suffering drone and missile attacks, appear to encourage continued pressure on Iran, hoping for regime collapse—though some analysts call this “wishful thinking.”
• “Gulf officials said to me...‘Iran basically holds all the cards, that's a very bad situation for the Gulf states and they won't be happy.’” (E/Frank Gardner, 03:17)

Timestamps:

• [01:13] - White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt on legal boundaries of military action.
• [02:27] - Marco Rubio on diplomacy with Iran.
• [03:17] - BBC’s Frank Gardner on Gulf states’ perspective.

3. Immigration Court Overhauls

Structural Changes

• Trump administration has shrunk the Board of Immigration Appeals from 28 to 15, appointing loyalists who have reshaped precedent, mostly siding with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
• “There is one Obama appointee and there's one Bush appointee. The rest were either appointed during Trump one or the second Trump administration.” (G/Ximena Bustillo, 09:53)

Impact on Policy

• In 2025, 97% of rulings sided with DHS, supporting rapid deportations and more restrictive interpretations of immigration law.
• “Last year, there were 70 precedent decisions, and of those 70, 97%...sided with DHS.” (G, 10:23)

Due Process Concerns

• Loss of judges and streamlined processes have increased backlog, raising alarms over due process.
• “The reason this appeals process exists is simply because even the best immigration judges can make a mistake.” (G, 11:31)

Timestamps:

• [08:47] - Immigration court process explained.
• [09:13] - Explanation of Board of Immigration Appeals’ unusual structure.
• [10:23] - Data on precedent-setting decisions.

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Reid Wiseman, Artemis 2 Astronaut ([05:03]): “Hey, let's go to the moon. I think the nation and the world has been waiting a long time to do this again. And on behalf of myself, Victor, Christina, Jeremy, we are really pumped to go do this for this entire team.”
• Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator ([07:00]): “This revised step by step approach...is exactly how NASA achieved the near impossible in the 1960s. But this time the goal is not flags and footprints. This time the goal is to stay.”
• Lauren Grusch, Bloomberg ([05:23]): “It's meant to serve as something of an elaborate dress rehearsal for the moon landing which NASA is targeting in 2028.”
• Frank Gardner, BBC ([03:17]): “Iran basically holds all the cards, that's a very bad situation for the Gulf states and they won't be happy. So some of them are pushing for him to finish this, to keep going until eventually the regime collapses. But that might be wishful thinking.”

5. Other Headlines and Closing Notes

• Security Update: FBI attributes attack on a Michigan synagogue to a Hezbollah-inspired terrorist. ([12:03])
• Corporate News: Air Canada’s CEO resigns after language backlash; PM Mark Carney disappointed at lack of French. ([13:29])
• Music Comeback: Celine Dion announces return to the stage in Paris after health struggles, Eiffel Tower lights up in celebration. ([13:44])

Episode Takeaways

• NASA’s Artemis program embodies both technical ambition and geopolitical competition, marking a new era for lunar exploration driven by both national pride and commercial rivalry.
• US-Iran relations remain volatile with escalating rhetoric and little progress on negotiation; regional states push conflicting agendas.
• Significant and sometimes controversial shifts in US immigration enforcement are reshaping due process and legal precedents.
• Amid heavy topics, cultural and human-interest stories—like Celine Dion’s return—offer a note of resilience and hope.

For more details or to follow these evolving stories, check the Apple News app or tune in to the next episode of Apple News Today.