043 - Moon Joy and Earth Joy

About this episode

Ruha and Bekah discuss the emotional journey of the Artemis II mission, sharing personal anecdotes and reflections on space exploration.

Artemis II, hope, chaos, Nutella, and the return of four very exhilarated astronauts 🧁 This week, Ruha and Bekah recount the emotional rollercoaster of the Artemis II mission — from Houston send‑offs to moon‑side tears to the triumphant return home. Ruha recounts her whirlwind two weeks of space‑nerding and being recognized by NASA interns (again). Bekah brings the relatable energy of someone who meant to watch the launch but rolled her ankle and got pulled into Scrubs instead. Together, they unpack astronaut camaraderie, viral memes, the surreal beauty of lunar orbit, and why watching four competent humans do something hard felt like collective therapy. Also: Nutella in zero‑G, the Carroll Crater, and the Sally Ride question — would 100 tampons be enough for space? What we talk about Ruha’s Houston trip: Space Center visits, book signings, and accidentally ending up at an astronaut send‑off The very small crowd of civilians who showed up (and the NASA employees who absolutely did) The “Who’s Reid?” moment that will haunt Ruha forever The Artemis II launch: Bekah vs. Scrubs Viral astronaut content: salutes, socks, Nutella, and the golden‑hour braid admired ‘round the world The…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ruha Tacey, Bekah Rodgers

Topics covered

• Artemis II mission
• astronaut camaraderie
• space exploration
• viral memes
• emotional experiences
• zero-G
• collective therapy

Keywords

• Artemis II
• NASA
• astronauts
• Houston
• moon
• Nutella
• Scrubs
• collective therapy
• zero-G
• Sally Ride

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA

Products: Nutella

Books & works: Scrubs

Places: Houston, Johnson Space Center, Carroll Crater

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