You ever notice how “going back to the Moon” somehow sounds kind of...small? Like, we already did it half a century ago. In the era of black-and-white TV, slide rules, and less computing power than your smartwatch. Apollo 8 sent humans around the Moon in 1968. So, what’s the big deal now?

Except, this is a big deal.

Because this isn’t nostalgia. It’s not a victory lap. Artemis II is the first time in more than 50 years that humans will leave low Earth orbit. No quick rescue, no space station safety net, no margin for error in the same way we’ve grown used to.

And here’s where it gets interesting. Is this about science? Is it about beating China? Is it about setting up a Moon base—or eventually getting to Mars? Or is it, as critics say, a wildly expensive prestige project dressed up as progress? What are we actually going to learn from a flyby? What could go wrong? And if everything goes right—what changes?

We find out in this episode. Dr. Martin Connors is a professor of astronomy, physics, and mathematics at Athabasca University. He's spent his career studying space, planetary science, and how humanity fits into all of it. And he joins us in our feature interview (3:40) presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West to break down what Artemis II really means…and whether it’s worth it.

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56:00 | Alright. Enough of the "dream big, blow your mind" Artemis II focus. Did you see President Donald Trump's post that "a whole civilization will die tonight"? Jespo and Johnny check in with Real Talkers in our Live Chat powered by Park Power ahead of the Tuesday 6pm ET deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. 

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