Brendan Byrne

Carrie Kahn, NPR’s Tel Aviv correspondent, tracks rising Middle East tensions, Iran’s response, and fears of wider conflict. Mara Liasson, veteran NPR political analyst, digs into Trump’s war rhetoric, shifting strategy, and political risks. Brendan Byrne, science reporter and space podcaster, follows Artemis II’s lunar flyby, record distance, moon mapping, and tests shaping NASA’s next missions.

Franco Ordonez, White House correspondent, tracks Trump’s Iran deadline and ceasefire wrangling. Daniel Estrin, international correspondent in Tel Aviv, follows Israel’s expanding strikes on Iran’s economy, railways, and the Strait of Hormuz standoff. Brendan Byrne, space reporter and science podcast presenter, joins the Artemis II trip home as Orion returns from a record-setting swing around the moon.

Rebecca Boyle, science journalist and author who writes about lunar science, and Brendan Byrne, space reporter covering launches and regional aerospace, discuss Artemis II’s launch and what comes next. They describe launch atmosphere, Orion systems checks, mission milestones, program risks, and long‑term plans for lunar missions. They also explore what Earth would be like without the moon.