The Daily — "Your Kids Asked the Artemis Astronauts Questions. They Answered."
Podcast: The Daily (The New York Times)
Host: Rachel Abrams
Date: May 6, 2026
Guests: Artemis II Astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen)
Episode Overview
In this family-focused, deeply human episode, the Artemis II crew fields candid, funny, and profound questions from children around the country. Host Rachel Abrams curates a space Q&A about everything from the emotional impact of orbiting the Moon, to daily life in zero gravity, to bathroom logistics, and the reality (or not) of aliens. The astronauts reflect on the beauty and fragility of Earth, embracing the spirit of curiosity and wonder that only children so readily supply.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. What Does It Take to Become an Astronaut?
[03:37]
- Qualities Needed:
- Reid Wiseman: "I think curiosity and the wonder of nature."
- Jeremy Hansen: "Persistence, because the one thing we can all guarantee kids today, there are going to be challenges... and you're just going to have to have persistence to keep trying and let other people know where you're trying to go so they can help you."
- Victor Glover: "The number one thing I would say... is being a good teammate. ...You don't get to say if you're a good teammate. It's your teammates who say that."
- Christina Koch: "Humility, hard work, and supporting the people around you."
2. Experiencing the Far Side of the Moon
[05:17] – [07:58]
- What Did It Feel Like?
- Christina Koch: "I would almost call it solemn... We had so much work to do, so we were also very busy. But we did take a moment... and then we kind of got back to work."
- Reid Wiseman (on the view): Human eyes "had never looked at what we were looking down on."
- Victor Glover: "I haven't found good words to describe it... it was overwhelming."
- On spirituality: "The whole thing, the entire mission, to me, was about God's glory... the moon dwarfs us and ...we didn't do that. That's just happened over billions of years." [08:06]
3. Why Spend Money on Space?
[08:42]
- Jeremy Hansen: "The genius that we bring together under the focus of a common goal... do benefit us here on the planet... extraordinary innovations that only come together when ...a thousand minds [try] to solve a problem together."
4. Daily Life and Food in Space
[09:50] – [13:08]
- Food Choices & Mishaps:
- Broccoli au gratin, tortillas, brisket, chicken, beans, kale salad, and a "Nutella crepe" improvised by Jeremy. [11:05 – 11:41]
- Mishaps: Reid: "10,000 crumbs of oatmeal" floating in the cabin; Victor ate them out of the air. [12:00]
- Soda in Space?
- Christina Koch: "I haven't seen it happen successfully... for many astronauts, that's something that they crave when they get back. Something bubbly." [12:36]
- Reid Wiseman (space station experience): "The bubbles do not go to the top... anytime we would twist the cap [of soda], it would start to spray out... We eventually gave up." [12:47]
5. Sleeping in Zero Gravity & Dreaming
[13:17] – [14:51]
- Victor Glover: "There is no upside down... It all feels the same."
- Christina Koch: "What do you call the floor and what do you call the ceiling? It could be anything."
- Jeremy Hansen (on sleeping): "We kind of slept almost as if we were in bunk beds... in opposite directions." Pranks ensued, like mid-sleep kicks to make each other float/bounce.
- Dreams: Christina: "We all dreamed that we were floating at different times. And... when we got back... we all felt like we were floating."
6. Being Away from Earth & Loneliness
[15:09] – [17:57]
- Reid Wiseman: "You are flying with great friends. I never really felt lonely... but I definitely felt some fear."
- Victor Glover: "I didn't feel lonely, but I felt longing for Earth... all the people I love... everything, right?"
- Jeremy Hansen: "I got this new sense of how everything is distributed in our galaxy… It was very different than I expected."
- Reid: "You just sense such a special little tiny thing... that atmosphere... it's impossible to even rationalize in your mind.”
7. Bathroom Logistics in Space (Number One Q!)
[19:41] – [22:22]
- Christina Koch: "We don't have gravity to naturally bring all the things where they need to go. But what we do instead is... a suction fan... If it's going up, you have a problem."
- Jeremy Hansen: "For us, we have the primary toilet… and then once you urinate into this hose, it gets stored in a tank and then that gets vented to space. The... capability to vent it to space clogged... so we had to use a backup method... simple tubes."
- On privacy: "There is a separate toilet area with a door... in the floor, so you get to float in there and you can close it off. It's actually pretty good. It's one private space we had."
8. Aliens and Life Beyond Earth
[22:29] – [24:12]
- Jeremy Hansen: "We think there are maybe a couple trillion other galaxies... so it's pretty hard to fathom that there's not alien life out there."
- Victor Glover (on alien training): "No... We have a lot of resources pointed at this dark sky looking for answers... I hope [that question] continues to drive us to explore further."
- Reid Wiseman, joking: "If we found alien life... NASA would never have a budget issue for the rest of eternity."
9. Most Beautiful Thing Seen on Mission
[24:58] – [27:55]
- Victor Glover: "It's the earth... It looks alive because the swirls change, and it demands your attention."
- Dedication Moment: Reid Wiseman's late wife Carol honored with the naming of a crater.
- "That was the moment that our crew coalesced... and I think we were bonded there forever." [27:25]
- His daughters learned of it while watching from Mission Control — “I think for them, I can’t think of a more special moment in their lives.” [27:42]
10. Perspective, Legacy, and What Truly Matters
[29:44] – [32:25]
- Amalia (11): "When you saw the whole Earth from far away, did it make you think differently about what really matters in life?"
- Reid: “You see the purity of Earth and you can sit there and wonder why we can’t get along… but maybe those differences are what makes us great.”
- Jeremy Hansen: “Our purpose here… is joy and lifting one another up.”
- Christina Koch: “1,000%, absolutely. That was one of the biggest takeaways... when you look... and you see the earth, tiny earth, and you mostly see blackness around it, you recognize what and completely unlikely scenario this is and how precious it is.”
- Jeremy: “You can also look at the things that are different between us and how that’s right and how that’s an asset… we have a choice of where we put our energy and our attention, our world, our choice.” [31:43]
11. Final Thought & Homework for Kids
[32:36]
- Reid Wiseman: “My homework would be: the next time you see something in bloom or something growing out of the ground, just stop for a second and look at it and just be impressed by it. Because sometimes, you have to leave and look back and then come back to realize the simplest little thing can be the most impressive thing you have seen all week.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On facing the unknown:
Victor Glover [07:16]: “There was a time when Reid mentioned that our brains have not evolved to see what we're seeing... it was all of the things. I mean, there were so many different emotions at the same time... It was so unreal.”
-
On Earth's fragility:
Reid Wiseman [17:04]: “This tiny... it's like two little tiny whiskers coming off the edge of Earth. It's the whole atmosphere. It's everything that keeps us alive... so tiny it's impossible to even rationalize in your mind.”
-
On finding meaning:
Jeremy Hansen [30:29]: “Our purpose here on this planet is joy and lifting one another up. And I don't think that's new, but I think it certainly reinforced that for us.”
-
On perspective:
Christina Koch [31:16]: “When you look out and you see the Earth, tiny Earth, and you mostly see blackness around it, you recognize what and completely unlikely scenario this is and how precious it is.”
-
On childlike wonder:
Rachel Abrams [13:52]: “Wow, you just blew my mind. Everyone listening, their mind just got blown in that moment thinking about that.”
-
On return to Earth:
Christina Koch [14:39]: “When we got back and woke up in our beds at home, we all felt like we were floating for a little while.”
Important Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment |
|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 03:37 | Advice for future astronauts; qualities required |
| 05:17–07:58 | Emotions on the far side of the Moon |
| 08:06 | Victor Glover on spiritual impact of the mission |
| 08:42 | Why spend so much on space exploration? |
| 09:50–13:08 | Daily routines: food, meals, and soda in space |
| 13:17–14:51 | Sleeping and dreaming; living in zero gravity |
| 15:09–17:57 | Feeling of distance from home and Earth's fragility |
| 19:41–22:22 | Bathroom questions – the nitty gritty |
| 22:29–24:12 | Aliens and the odds of life beyond Earth |
| 24:58–27:55 | Most beautiful moments; naming a crater “Carol” |
| 29:44–32:25 | Mission’s impact on what really matters |
| 32:36 | Homework for kids – a message of Earth appreciation |
Takeaway: Wonder, Perspective, and Collaboration
The Artemis II astronauts’ journey transcended scientific exploration: it deepened their awe for Earth, heightened their sense of interconnectedness with humanity, and fueled their hope for building a better planet together. By answering the candid questions of children, they reminded listeners of the joy of curiosity and the importance of protecting “this tiny, fragile atmosphere” that makes life possible.
Final advice to young listeners:
Reid Wiseman [32:44]: “Next time you see something in bloom or something growing out of the ground, just stop for a second and look at it and just be impressed by it.”
For more, find the video version of the astronauts answering kids’ questions at nytimes.com.