The Daily — "Today's Mission to the Moon"

Date: April 1, 2026
Host: Michael Barbaro (plus NYT colleagues)
Guest: Ken Chang (NYT science reporter)

Episode Overview

This episode covers the United States’ ambitious return to the Moon with the Artemis 2 mission. Nearly 54 years after humanity’s first lunar landings, NASA is sending a crew of four astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over half a century. Ken Chang, reporting from Florida, explains the mission’s scientific and geopolitical aims, introduces the crew, and reflects on the historic and emotional context of lunar exploration in an era marked by global instability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mission Outline & Purpose

• Artemis 2 Mission:

  • First crewed lunar journey since Apollo era.
  • Four astronauts will launch from Kennedy Space Center, travel around the Moon without landing, and return after 10 days.
  • Main goal: "The biggest goal for the astronauts on this mission is to not die." (Ken Chang, 04:01)
  • Major test: Life-support systems in actual living conditions.

• Why Go Back Now?

  • Short-term: Validate systems and human endurance in deep space.
  • Long-term: Set stage for sustainable Moon bases, mining, scientific stations, and future Mars tech pilot-testing.

Notable quote:

"The goal this time… is to get people back to the moon, but also stay there this time."
—Ken Chang (02:48)

2. Scientific, Economic, and Strategic Motivations

• Moon Base Vision:
  • Power plants and habitats for long-term lunar stays (days, weeks, or months).
• Resource Mining:
  • Helium-3: Rare on Earth, potentially valuable for fusion reactors and quantum computing.
  • "Helium 3 on Earth costs roughly $3 million a pound." (Ken Chang, 05:52)
• Unique Science:
  • Building a radio telescope on the Moon’s far side to “listen” to ancient cosmic signals with no Earth interference.
• Mars as a Next Step:
  • Moon used as testbed for Mars-bound technology due to similar harsh conditions.

Notable quotes:

"Listen to the universe? ...We could hear the ancient sounds of really the dawn of time itself."
—Host (06:24-07:09)

"There's this romantic notion of humanity just spreading out into the solar system... we can live elsewhere as well someday on a moon colony."
—Ken Chang (07:50)

• Geopolitical Stakes:
  • Space race with China for first-mover advantage, setting rules and controlling resources.

"The people who are there first are the ones who make the rules of how space commerce is conducted, will have the prime locations on the moon and control the resources and so on. So being first means being the one who's in charge."
—Ken Chang (08:20)

3. Meet the Artemis 2 Crew (11:12)

Reid Wiseman — Commander

• Former US Navy fighter pilot.
• Lost his wife; leaving his daughters behind carries "a poignant detail." (Ken Chang, 11:50)

Victor Glover — Pilot

• Former naval aviator; first Black man to fly to and stay on the ISS.
• Will become the first Black astronaut to travel to the Moon.
• Emphasizes collective, global effort:

  "We had our own moonshot, remember? And it was global, it was international, and we did it together."
  —Victor Glover (12:08)

Christina Koch — Mission Specialist

• Electrical engineer; record-holder for longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days).
• On being “first”:

  "All these things that we talk about first are really not about any one individual's accomplishment, but more about celebrating where we are at."
  —Christina Koch (12:59)

Jeremy Hansen — Canadian Astronaut

• First non-American in deep space.
• Humorous about the risk:

  "He said if something goes wrong on this mission, then NASA can blame Canada."
  —Ken Chang (13:34)

Crew’s Mindset:

• The immediate focus: survive and return ("their first job is staying alive." —Ken Chang, 08:56)

4. Mission Timeline and Key Moments

• Pre-Launch: Crew wakes 8 hours before departure, suited and shuttled to the pad.

• Orbit-Testing (Day 1-2):

  • Two elliptical Earth orbits to check spacecraft systems.

• Trans-lunar Injection (Day 2):

  • Burn engines to head to the Moon (distance: ~250,000 miles; travel time: 4 days).

• Lunar Flyby (Day 6):

  • Closest point: Moon appears as "a basketball held at arm's length."
  • 40 minutes of radio blackout while on Moon's far side—observing never-before-seen areas in daylight.

  "These would be almost the echoes of the Big Bang."
  —Ken Chang (07:09)

• Return:

  • Lunar gravity slingshots spacecraft toward Earth—minimal adjustment needed.

  "It's going along a path that the gravity of the Moon basically is going to sling them around and throw them right back toward Earth without them doing much of anything."
  —Ken Chang (17:21)

• Splashdown:

  • Land in Pacific, recovered, flown to Houston.
  • Critical to pave the way for Artemis 3 and beyond.

5. NASA vs. Private Sector — An Era’s End and What’s Ahead

• Artemis 2 is "old-school NASA" — fully managed by the agency.
• Beginning with Artemis 3, companies like SpaceX (Elon Musk) and Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos) will provide lunar landers.

  "Artemis 2 is kind of the end of an era... The expectation is this will be the last big NASA spacecraft and rockets. And in the future there will be much more work from private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin."
  —Ken Chang (20:14)

6. Historical & Emotional Resonance

• Space as unifying experience—contrasted against current global conflicts.
• Recalling Apollo 8 (1968):
  • A similar mission during a tumultuous year; astronauts read from Genesis, bringing hope and perspective to a troubled Earth.

  "It was such a calming, hopeful moment that some people even talked about how that mission saved 1968."
  —Ken Chang (23:02)

• Hopes that Artemis 2, even in global uncertainty, sparks awe and unity.

"Just the imagery that's going to come back of them seeing Earth from a quarter million miles away could just provide a moment of calm that makes us realize we are still all part of the same planet."
—Ken Chang (23:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:10 Mission outline begins
• 03:11 Artemis I vs. Artemis II explained
• 04:32 Rationale for returning and plans for a moon base
• 05:21 Helium-3 and lunar mining
• 06:23 Science ambitions (radio telescopes, listening to the universe)
• 07:37 Moon as a Mars tech testbed and the geopolitical space race
• 11:12 Meet the crew
• 14:00 Astronauts’ day-by-day experience
• 16:43 Observing unseen parts of the Moon
• 18:10 Return to Earth procedures
• 19:24 NASA vs. private industry roles
• 20:33 What Artemis 2 represents historically
• 21:06 Apollo 8 as precedent; reading Genesis
• 23:02 Hopes for Artemis 2 to inspire unity

Memorable Quotes

"The biggest goal for the astronauts on this mission is to not die."
—Ken Chang (04:01)

"We can build a giant listening post on the far side of the moon... and we could hear the ancient sounds of really the dawn of time itself."
—Interviewer (06:50)

"All these things that we talk about first are really not about any one individual's accomplishment, but more about celebrating where we are at."
—Christina Koch (12:59)

"Their first job is staying alive. If they don't do that, then all these dreams are pushed even farther into the future."
—Ken Chang (08:56)

"The people who are there first are the ones who make the rules of how space commerce is conducted."
—Ken Chang (08:20)

Conclusion

This episode captures the stakes and spirit of Artemis 2—a technological leap, a human adventure, and a symbol of hope in challenging times. The mission not only tests NASA’s readiness for lunar return, but also asks big questions about humanity’s future beyond our planet, the collaboration and rivalry shaping that destiny, and the ways great endeavors can help unify a fractured world.