Get Our Newsletter

© 2026 Central Florida Public Media. All Rights Reserved.

90.7 FM Orlando • 89.5 FM Ocala

Get Our Newsletter

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Are We There Yet?

Artemis II flies by the moon and a look at NASA’s budget proposal

By Brendan Byrne, Marian Summerall & Orion Boone

Published April 7, 2026 at 6:10 PM EDT

Ways To Subscribe

The Moon, seen here backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse on April 6, 2026, is photographed by one of the cameras on the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars.

For the first time in over fifty years, the Artemis II mission became the first to bring astronauts back to the moon.

During their lunar flyby, the crew observed parts of the moon never observed by the human eye and made observations about the moon that will be crucial for the future of the Artemis program and our understanding of our moon.

Planetary Scientists Addie Dove and Paul Byrne join the show to talk about these observations and the future of lunar understanding.

Then, NASA is once again facing a significant budget cut from the White House.

The proposal could cut 23% of the space agency’s budget.

We’ll speak with the Planetary Society’s Casey Drier about these potential cuts and what it means for the future of NASA, and programs like Artemis.

Are We There Yet?

More Episodes

The Wrap: To the moon! Artemis II takes flight from Kennedy Space Center

Brendan Byrne

For the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts are heading to the moon.
Space

Artemis II images prepare UCF researchers for their own lunar mission

Brendan Byrne and Orion Boone

Images from the Artemis II flyby are captivating the public. They are also helping a team of UCF researchers plan for their own mission to the moon.
Space

NASA’s next budget and the search for habitable worlds

Orion Boone, Brendan Byrne & Marian Summerall

Congress is moving forward with an appropriation that would only cut about 1% of NASA’s current budget. Plus, a look at a mission that will search for signs of life on distant planets.
Space

Slashed budget, uncertain leadership. What’s ahead for NASA?

Ashley Reep, Marian Summerall & Brendan Byrne

A budget proposal from the White House would cut about a quarter of NASA’s budget and cut key science missions if approved by Congress. Plus, President Trump withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman for NASA administrator and SpaceX once again launched its massive Starship rocket.