Elliot In The Morning

EITM: We're Going Back To The Freakin' Moon 4/2/26

30 min
Apr 2, 202617 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

The hosts discuss their experience watching NASA's moon launch on April 2, 2026, covering the technical aspects of the mission, astronaut preparations, and the inspiring impact of space exploration on careers and innovation across industries.

Insights
  • NASA's pre-launch educational broadcasts effectively balance technical accuracy with accessibility for general audiences, building confidence through transparency about safety protocols and contingency procedures
  • Space missions inspire career choices beyond astronautics—the launch motivates people to pursue engineering, science, and mission-critical roles across various industries and organizations
  • Modern space mission amenities and food systems represent significant engineering advances that improve crew health, comfort, and mission success compared to earlier space programs
  • Live space events generate massive viewership (2+ million concurrent viewers) and community engagement, with local watch parties and personal connections to crew members amplifying cultural impact
Trends
Streaming platforms replacing traditional broadcast infrastructure for major scientific events (NASA TV transition to streaming-only in July 2024)Increased focus on crew health and comfort systems in space missions, including specialized toilet engineering and nutritionally-optimized meal planningSpace exploration serving as cultural touchstone for inspiring STEM career pathways and demonstrating team-based problem-solving capabilitiesReal-time public engagement with space missions through multiple viewing platforms and social media, creating distributed viewing communitiesIntegration of personal items and cultural elements (maple syrup, wedding rings, Bibles) into mission planning, humanizing space exploration
Companies
NASA
Primary focus of episode discussing April 2, 2026 moon launch, mission planning, crew training, food systems, and edu...
People
Buzz Aldrin
Referenced for historical spacesuit photos and comparison to modern suit advancements in space exploration
Reed Wiseman
Mission commander who brought a notepad as personal item and is Maryland representative on the crew
Christina Hammock Koch
Crew member who brought handwritten notes from loved ones as personal item for mission
Jeremy Hansen
Canadian crew member bringing maple syrup and maple cookies as personal items for the mission
Victor Glover
Crew member bringing Bible and wedding rings as personal items for the mission
Jonathan
NASA contact who provided technical information about spacecraft speeds and reentry procedures
Dr. Amber
NASA employee working on satellites, rovers, and rockets as part of broader mission team
Andrew Frieden
Meteorologist who accurately predicted 90% weather go for launch day
Eileen Whalen
Weather scientist who provided perspective on space launch from scientific viewpoint
Quotes
"They do a really nice job of kind of telling you what's coming, educating you about what's going on, but also kind of keeping you calm"
ElliotEarly in episode discussing NASA's pre-launch broadcast
"It really shows off the best in people. It's awesome. And it may not just inspire someone in terms of space. Just look at what someone and a team is capable of."
ElliotMid-episode discussing inspiration from space missions
"Not everybody's going to be an astronaut. But that may have inspired somebody to go, I want to go work at NASA or a group of people who as a team can do these unbelievable things."
ElliotDiscussion of career inspiration from space exploration
"Going 25,000 miles an hour. It makes me nauseous just thinking about it."
ElliotDiscussing reentry speeds
"We were swimming with sharks. He caught two Mako sharks at the same time."
Corbin (caller from Fort Myers)Caller anecdote about viewing launch from 140 miles away
Full Transcript
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You know who I have to talk to? Kristen, did you watch it? What did you watch it on? On YouTube? Yeah. Did you try finding NASA TV on the Timmy Box? I gotta talk to Timmy. They don't have the NASA TV on the Timmy Box. So anyway, I watched... I was watching it on YouTube. I want to say I started around 5.30, 5.20, somewhere around there. Wow, so you were an hour in. I wanted the pre-show. I wanted the... Because whoever... I couldn't even tell you who the hosts were of the thing, but they do a really good job. And I've said that about other launches. They teach you things. They get you set up for it. They kind of walk you through. And some of it's real technical and stuff I don't understand. But they do a really nice job of kind of telling you what to expect. And I feel like they also do a really good job of calming you down. And I didn't have butterflies at that point. But it does live in your head. Like we mentioned this morning, you don't forget what we've seen happen in the past. You don't forget Challenger. But they do a really good job of calming you down and saying, there's a checklist that's 30 pages long or whatever it is. And if anything is off, you have that opportunity to stop. And if there's like, there's one point where they said the rocket takes over. And I think that was like in the last 33 seconds. That's the ABS. Yes. And so in the last 33 seconds, the rocket takes over. The computer's not running it anymore. It's the computers on the rocket. But if something's not right, ground control can take... can stop it. But they can't do anything else. But they have the... So I feel like they do a really good job in telling you what's coming, educating you about what's going on, but also kind of keeping you calm, but not in a way where like you're freaking out, but just like, OK, if at the last second, there was a launch not too long ago where they stopped the countdown with seconds left and you go, oh my God, we were that close. But they do a really nice job of like just kind of walking you through it. So I wanted to get some pregame in. Yeah, they don't make it seem like they're talking down to you. No, not at all. But they need to understand the majority. I think at the time I was watching, it was over two million viewers. The majority of people watching whatever feed you're on don't know anything about this. Oh, I knew less than 10 percent of what they were talking about. Elliot. What, you think I knew more than that? No. Oh, OK. I was like, thank you. No, like when they when like when they start talking to like the the host does this way, I feel like I'd be really good on that set because I would just sit there and go, I don't know what that means and let them explain it. The but the the like when they start getting into like some of the nitty gritting. But I like that. I don't want them to dumb it down for me. But they also set you up and then lead you out of some of the communication talk you hear where they are not presenting it for an audience. They are working doing their job. Yeah. So then the interpretation and the explanation of those comments. That's really important is very necessary. Yeah, no, like the person at ground control isn't going like, oh, we're on. OK. Hey, just hit the orange button. Like they're not dumbing it down like they've got a job to do. I thought it was great. If I if I could be if I could be disappointed in NASA for just one small thing, one small thing, I wanted more. I felt like I wanted more cameras on the outside to see what's going on. Like while it's taking off. And I understand my ability to be able to watch because we were spoiled. We're we put cameras everywhere. Yeah. So we're spoiled. I want cameras all over the thing and I want to see everything. And what I should be doing is being thankful that they have a camera watching the earth kind of fall away from it, if you will. While the rockets go in 15,000 miles an hour. Like at some point, you're like, this thing's going 15,000 miles an hour. Cut us some slack. We got a camera working. So it is. It's very impressive. It's very impressive. The only thing they started to talk about it yesterday and I didn't I didn't hear what the answer was. So I started at about five 20 and then I went through a good chunk of the end until it switched over to just a graphic where they were trying to explain it. That point I was like, I'm done. The actually, that's not true. The sushi got there. The the I missed the explanation trying to beat Japan to the moon. Come on. I didn't hear the explanation as to why the suits were orange. Yeah, they kept saying safety for safety reasons. Is that for if they land in the ocean, we can find them? No, I thought it had something to do with being on board. But don't they take all that stuff off? They actually were talking about that process of just raising the visor and how that's one of the first steps in a big deal to raise the visor on the helmet. Yeah. How long in do I have to keep that on for? They don't look comfortable. I will say that. It doesn't look like a comfortable ride. It looks better than when you go back. You know, I pulled out the book that Buzz came in for yesterday and you're just looking at the photos of him. Those suits were so bulky. Sure. Like there's been. Oh, we've made huge advancements, 100 percent. But it still doesn't look like sitting in that seat and shooting into the into the sky is not. It doesn't seem like it's the most comfortable ride. And didn't somebody didn't somebody from NASA say, oh, they're sick for like two or three days. Oh, how sick? Seasick. Oh, like it's mimics. It mimics being seasick. Like they are nauseous and sick for a number of days. I don't like that. Uh, I guess this is what you train for. Space adaptation sickness. S.A.S. I got that two to four days. Hey, y'all writing. Oh, and then didn't the toilet break? Didn't they make a big deal about the toilet? They fixed it overnight, but I think the toilet broke. What happened to it? Didn't work and I got S.A.S. So, you know, I also got the squirts. But they talked a lot about how the toilet on this mission was a marvel of engineering. Wait, I'm sorry to say that again. I feel like there were a lot of articles leading up to yesterday's launch about how these astronauts would go to the bathroom in a way no other astronauts ever had. Oh, so they would just like and then just swat it down into the toilet. For the same reason you can't have bread and you have to have tortillas. You have to be careful with crumbs. But why is that? Crumbs. Is that what it is? That's why you can't have bread. Because of crumbs? Yeah. Wow. Oh, I read a whole thing about their menu. Their menu is pretty good. Like the old day of like powder, that's gone. Where am I going? Line one. Hi, Elliott. The morning. Hey, Elliott. Is this me? Yeah. Hi. Who's S. Hey, this is Corbin. I'm from Richmond, but I'm on vacation in Fort Myers and we me and my family, we saw the rocket takeoff. Man, we're 140 miles away from it. And it was so sick. And you could still watch it from up. We were talking earlier about a Buddymine Liz and Orlando and was able to like see the rocket going up in the in the trail behind it. But isn't that nuts? You're 112 miles away. And it's I'm sure it felt like it was right in your backyard. And the crazy part was is you can you could still kind of feel a little bit of the shock wave that came from the boom, the the sonic boom or whatever. You could feel that a little bit like the house shook a little. God, that's crazy. I love that so much. I so badly want to be able to go to a launch. I really do. Can I can I tell you something else, too? It's crazy because my daughter and I were swimming in the ocean and there was this guy fishing and we didn't know that he apparently threw some chum in the ocean. So me and my daughter were swimming. He says, hey, get over a little bit, you know, there's I got something on the line. Come find out. We were swimming with sharks. He caught two Mako sharks at the same time. No. Wow. All right. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, I appreciate it. Thank you, sir. Thank you, my friend. Yes, Tyler. Here's what I was referencing. More than a decade in the making, the astronauts would be spoiled or will be spoiled by amenities that include handles to help them stay steady in micro gravity. Oh, that's good. A system. They should put those in at the urinal here the way these people piss on the floor. A system that finally allows them to pee and poop simultaneously. Whoa. Do you know how long I would have to train to not do that? Wait a minute. How long has he been down at Huntsville? Wait, can I? How we could get Elliot out of space camp? Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you saying that like I now I have to see the app or like I know they don't have a regular toilet. No, this this this apparently looked more like a civilians toilet. So did they previous missions? Yeah, would they have to like urinate and then turn around and then defecate? Remember the bags and the funnels? Yeah, no, but so but you couldn't you couldn't. There was no double funnel. You look like Pee Wee Herman during tequila. There's no. I can't do that. On past missions, those systems were referred to as distasteful. But now they even had urine collection devices that worked for both female and males. You because I've said this. I you are still holding yourself. No, because I don't understand how that would work. Like I've said I've never gone number two without going number one. I have gone number one and not gone number two, but I'd never chewed without one. Even a door for the helpful illusion of privacy. But it both. It both sometimes it both goes at the same time. It both goes. Well, both both holes go at the same time. Uh-huh. You have failed astronaut school. Wow. Say whatever. This is the luckiest space crew of all time. You see the picture? I can pull up a photo. This is the bathroom. Yeah. Yeah. Hold on. Let me put on the big screen. Oh, I can totally go in that. Although that. This part, Bob, this is the training toilet. This is not the actual one, but this is why they're saying it. It reminds people of kind of a regular commode. Yeah, but look, how do you describe? Tyler, over here, how do you describe this part? Like you got to tuck everything in there. Like it's like it looks like the exhaust for a dryer where all the hot air would go out. Looks like you're sitting on that. You got to like tuck here and push. Otherwise stuff will float around the. Yeah, but I want a volleyball. Volleyball. Yeah. I if I were up there, I'd be like, what? Loose turn. Bam. Right into the right into the toilet. OK. I want to just try the test kitchen. The test kitchen. Well, the bathroom, whatever you call it. That's pretty good. Yep. That's pretty good. Good on them. I see the handle that they're talking about, too. What were you saying about when I brought up the bread? Oh, oh, the food. The food. Well, hold on. Let me just grab line two real quick. Hi, Yelena in the morning. Hi, is this me? Yeah. Hi, who's this? Hi, this is Greg. So read the commander for the mission is an alumni of my high school. Where? Which high school? Which high school? Selene High School. OK. Yeah, very good. Yeah, I don't like he's a Baltimore guy. I know that. What? Um, are you are you still in touch with him? Oh, I don't personally know him. I got he's a grad. But I work in a bar on York Road, which is like the main road here. And all of the far has got rented out and stuff for watch parties for it. I think it's great. Like, I love I love that so many people watch it. Like, I love that without telling them both my kids watched it. Right. I love I love that because it is it is it really is inspiring. It is it is it's I don't know what the right word is. But like when you look at like what technology did and what what people just using their brains did and built this thing so that it can go like. It really shows off the best in people. It's awesome. And it may not just inspire someone in terms of space. Right. Just look at what someone and a team is capable of. Yes. Yes. So they could work in any industry. Oh, well, yeah. Well, no. You think somebody watch that was like, I mean, I can fix our heart. If it convinced someone that they could tackle the clicking problem. That would be I would pay you. I would pay you so much money. The A. Thank you, sir. Thank you. No, no. But I was going to say like not everybody's going to be an astronaut. But that may have inspired somebody to go. I want to go work at you know, who I thought like I think of like Dr. Amber, good friend of ours who works at at NASA. Does like all kinds of great stuff. She's and I hope she's not mad or Jonathan from NASA. Like they're not going to be astronauts, but they they do things and work on things that are that are part of that team of whether it's sending satellites into space, rovers into space, rockets into space. Like all of that is great. So it may take somebody and go, I'm not going to be. I'm not going to be I'm not going to be an astronaut. But I want to go work for a group of people who as a team can do these unbelievable things. Even this morning and it throws you off because you do usually forget it when they're misforecasting the weather. But on Channel Seven this morning, Eileen Whalen said as a scientist and that set up to a sentence does kind of make you pause. But she said that she sees it from a different perspective as well. And then I'm assuming also helps inspire other potential meteorologists. She said that this morning as a scientist. OK, OK, I'm telling you what she said. I admitted I looked up. Like whose voice is that as a scientist? I can tell you Todd Thrasher has really mixed the drinks up well from Tiki TNT. Well, no, see now now you're making fun and you're mocking. But the same thing can be said about Amelia. The same thing can be said about Lauren. The rocket launch was fantastic. You know, I'm a scientist. Lauren Ricketts is a scientist. Kristen. Well, I don't know why I'm laughing. So is Hoby. I just have a hard time putting Hoby and Eileen Whalen in the same category as. Who's that meant to offend more? Hoby better scientist than Eileen Whalen. But they're they're not looking at and going like, well, I understand the rocket launch better than the rest of you. She didn't say that. She implied she punched down. No, it's even like it. I thought of Andrew Frieden yesterday, too, because even though the reporting was was an 80 percent weather go, right? He it almost felt like it. This isn't your pay grade to decide this. But he yesterday morning said, I'm pushing it to 90 percent. And then it got there. It legitimately got to 90 percent. OK, new ranking order. Andrew, Hoby, Eileen. Yeah, Andrew nailed it. Where's Lauren say again? Where's Lauren's way above them, way above them. And by the way, Andrew, Andrew also knows where the nude beaches are. So he's solid. Texas. Where am I going? To hi, Yolly in the morning. I swear to God, you're going to have problems. You're picking on Eileen like that. You don't say a course word about her. You hear me? I got you. Very good. Thank you, sir. Mr. Waylon. Oh, so back to the menu, back to the menu. Here's one of the great advancements we've made. So like you would think like everything is like that powdered ice cream and powdered stuff that we would always get. Barbecue. Oh, so let me back up a step. So they're going to be sick for a handful of days. But they were saying one of the things that the doctors, NASA doctors deal with is they obviously have to be very healthy prior to taking off, but they have to remain healthy on the mission during the during the mission, the 10 days until they come back. They'll be eating everything from barbecued beef brisket. They do talk to a very strict tortilla count. They've always expressed NASA has always stressed the importance of the crew staying healthy and alert in space and making sure their diets will keep them alert, also and energized. There's a list of common food items that will be on the spacecraft, including 58 tortillas, wheat, flatbread, vegetable, quiche, breakfast, sausage, couscous with nuts, mango salad, granola, broccoli, O'grotten, spicy green beans, macaroni and cheese, tropical fruit salad, butternut squash and cauliflower. They're also able to pick 10 different beverages while they're flying. Coffee, tea, a mango peach smoothie, chocolate and vanilla drinks, lemonade, apple cider and hot chocolate. It's quite spread. Freakin awesome. Like you mass amherst. Where do you like? Where's their room for anything? Because they're already pretty compact in there. For a sweet tooth, I've put these things together for you. Cookies. I hope they're from crumble. Like if I were crumble, I'd offer to supply the astronauts. None of that Walmart knockoff stuff. Oh, what is the name? And it's even got a bet like King Cumble or something like that. No, no, King Crumb. Crumb, that's it. I don't know what happened in the market research. I guess the lead researcher misspoke. Cookies, chocolate, they got cake. Candy coated almonds. I'd find a window and just flick those out. I don't understand why you can have cake, but you can't have bread. You can have a cookie, but you can't have bread. I don't understand. I don't understand why it's like we only got 58 tortillas, but I don't understand why you can't have bread. Oh, my God, for the crumbs. You know, there's cookie crumbs. Have you ever seen me in a cookie? I guarantee you this doesn't look like your average cookie. It's in the name of the cookie brand that's there. Crumble. Culinary flavorings. So like I have like sauces to put on stuff, I get maple syrup. Now, the Canadian that's up with them. Chocolate spread, peanut butter, hot sauce, spicy mustard, spicy jam. Oh, strawberry jam. Excuse me. Honey, cinnamon, they got almond butter. Almond butter can go out the window with the candy coated almonds. Yes, the Canadian. No poutine for him. No, I'm looking at it. I thought they had said the maple syrup was his personal item. Was it like survivor? They each get a personal item. And I'm pretty sure. Yes, Jeremy Hansen is bringing up maple syrup and maple cookies. I brought up two cards from my daughters. Oh, no, let me give you. I can tell you exactly what the other ones brought for Reed, who obviously is our Maryland representative. I he took a small notepad so he could jot down his thoughts during the mission. I need syrup. Christina took, let's see here, a handwritten notes from people close to her so she could have a connection back to loved ones on earth. Jeremy Hansen, we went over, he brought maple syrup. Yes. And cookies. And Victor was bringing a Bible and wedding rings. Get dip sausage in a Bible. Do you think when Jeremy got to like the meet up and everybody's everybody's showing their stuff and he's like, oh, I brought nothing. Yep. Or maybe. So that's your wife's wedding ring. Oh, that's really nice in the Bible. That's very good. Can I get a squeeze bottle of the syrup? Maybe, Jeremy knows like this is how you become sort of the de facto leader. It's I know it says commander after Reed's name, but I have the snacks that weren't a part of the actual provisions. They also have five different hot sauces that they could choose from. I thought that was awesome. I'm surprised that they can add heat, not not warm up, but like spice to a meal. Oh, yeah. Why not? I just think that could be dangerous on your. I got the new toilet. I got the new toilet. I'm good to go. Tell me that it malfunctioned. Line one. Hi, Elliott. The morning. Good morning, sir. This is your cable guy. Oh, Timmy. How are you? Oh, I was. You know what? I found the flaw in the Timmy box. You know what? And I've already been looking into it since you mentioned it. So NASA did away with NASA TV in July of 2024 and moved it to a streaming streaming platform only due to its demand. So basically, NASA wanted their money to. Gotcha. OK. So that's not a flaw with the Timmy box. That's a NASA issue. Yes. Yes. All right. I've been working on it since you mentioned it. By the way, I give you credit for doing the research. I would have just been like, no, well, no big deal. All right. Very good. Thank you. I love you. I love you too. Thank you. Can you look something else up for me real quick? A fighter jet. Yes. How fast does a fighter jet fly? Well, how well do you know your mocks? The. I don't. So the F-15 Eagle exceeds in 1900 miles per hour. And 1900. Mach two plus. Is that the fastest of the like the fighter jets that are listed? OK, I can research fastest fighter jet. I'm just trying to. Another soft top of red. Mike Wood, Kristen, doesn't. Let's see. Capable of speeds up to 2170. OK, so we're now we're at 2100. That's over Mach three. OK. Is a fighter jet the fastest thing that we would be familiar with? Well, there are experimental jets we've seen in the air before, but you wanted fighter jet. Yeah, no, but I'm just thinking like when you think of things that are unbelievably fast, you would think like fighter jet. Like, yes, a Formula One car is very fast, but that's what 200 miles an hour. So get to a fighter jet, which would you say is 2,200 miles an hour? That X 15 rocket plane. Right. Got to 4,520 miles per hour. And that's the fastest crewed aircraft. That sounds ridiculous. Yeah. And that's why I still can't imagine these guys are flying around at 17,000 miles an hour. Now, Jonathan from NASA did check in earlier. Oh, yes, Jonathan. And he said because that's what speed you'll see here maybe would have already seen during the during the launch during the during the first 24 hours. Right. But for reentry, 25,000. It goes 25,000 miles an hour. And he said they will feel that. Do they feel it because Earth's getting closer? It doesn't have to do with the re-entering of the atmosphere. Oh, so you're feeling like gravity. I don't know. Am I shaking? Traveling at 32 times the speed of sound. The capsule heats the surrounding air to temperatures higher than the surface of the sun. That's warm. You know, I look to my right and my co-worker is clutching his Bible in the wedding rings. And I am holding tight to a bottle of maple syrup. And then there's a skip re-entry technique used for safe deceleration. I just I just I can't imagine. And I don't know why. I mean, we know that these things go fast. I just can't imagine. Going 25,000 miles an hour. It makes me nauseous just thinking about it. I but I but is it you're just out in black space. You have no sense. Like part of going 120 miles an hour on the beltway is watching how quick everything. Well, you're not watching how quick, but you feel it like you're out of your peripherals just swiping by you if I'm just out in black space. I don't see anything. Yeah. Atmospheric drag allows it to slow down from 25,000 miles per hour to 325 miles per hour to a 20 mile per hour splashdown speed. That's a dramatic break. Like the cop probably sees that. Am I going to line one? Hi, Yelena. The morning. Good morning. Hi. Hey, I'm Joan Anissa. I'm a listener of Sarah's from Seattle. Oh, very nice to. I'm glad you came with her. Please stay with us after Diane comes back. Sorry, I got every man for himself. I know for himself. Yes. What can I what can I do for you? I have a good story. My father was head of Process Foods for Armor Research, you know, armor hot dogs. Yeah. And we were trying to do work for the space program for NASA in the sixties. And it was nothing like what you're talking about. It was like and we'd have to eat it. He tested out on us and it'd be like a stew made of dehydrated ground beef with purple croutons and we'd be eating it going, God, it's disgusting. It's awful. And he'd be filling out the survey going, oh, OK, medium. And we just be like, but that is. But and they were that's what they were talking about is. And listen, I don't know the process of like where they talk about rehydration and what they're doing to the food so that they like they're not just eating powder for everything. But like you said, like they were trying to figure out hot dogs. Like these things are it's unbelievable what they're what they're. I mean, even from like we talked about like not everybody's going to be an astronaut and not everybody is going to be in mission control. But even being on the team that works to put together a diet to keep them healthy, it's all for the right reason. But even being on that team is is is remarkable. It was well enough for me. But yeah, but I mean, you were a kid. You couldn't appreciate that. But I bet your dad appreciated that he was working on on trying to make advancements of what was going to help astronauts as they go as they move forward. This is true. He also held three patents on how to do something with bacon. So he was a pretty smart guy. All right, I got to redo it in terms of scientists. Your dad, Andrew, Hoby, Whalen. All right, very good. I appreciate it. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. I mean, what did I say? No, I don't people who just tuned in to think the Whalen Jennings. I don't think anybody thinks Whalen Jennings scientist on Channel Seven. You didn't say that. Oh, OK. I knew what I meant.