Your Kids Asked the Artemis Astronauts Questions. They Answered.

What It Covers

NYT's The Daily hosts a 34-minute Q&A where children's questions guide a conversation with all four Artemis 2 astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — covering their 10-day lunar orbit mission, life aboard the spacecraft, and how seeing Earth from 250,000 miles away reshaped their perspective.

Key Questions Answered

• •Astronaut qualities to cultivate early: The four crew members each name a distinct trait children can practice now: Wiseman cites curiosity in nature, Hansen names persistence through setbacks, Glover emphasizes being a good teammate (noting teammates — not you — decide if you qualify), and Koch adds humility and supporting others. These are concrete, daily behaviors, not abstract ideals.
• •Far-side lunar perspective: Human eyes had never directly observed the far side of the moon until this mission. The crew documented what they saw in real time because Earth's gravitational lock permanently hides that hemisphere. Key visible features included the Orientale basin and crater Ohm, whose ejector rays extend onto the near side — all previously known only through robotic imaging.
• •Carbonated beverages fail in microgravity: Soda cannot be consumed in space because gas bubbles distribute evenly throughout the liquid rather than rising to the surface. Opening a bottle causes immediate spray regardless of how gently the cap is turned. Astronauts consistently report craving carbonated drinks upon return to Earth, making it one of the most missed consumables.
• •Earth's atmosphere visible as fragility: From lunar distance, the atmosphere appears as two thin extensions along Earth's crescent edge — visually comparable to whiskers. Wiseman describes this as the clearest possible illustration of how narrow the margin for life actually is, especially when placed directly beside the moon's lifeless surface in the same field of view.
• •Processing re-entry intentionally: Glover spent two full weeks in medical reconditioning and deliberate reflection before engaging publicly. His framework: treat the experience as something to give away rather than hold onto — sharing it technically with the next crew and culturally with the public who funded it. This structured transition model applies to any high-intensity, once-in-a-lifetime experience.