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As Artemis II splashes down, San Diego’s ties to NASA go back decades

·17 min·1 clip
As Artemis II splashes down, San Diego hosts watch parties and explores its decades-long connection to NASA.
The episode opens with the Artemis II splashdown, prompting local events like a family PJ watch party at the San Diego Air and Space Museum and Artemis Week at the Fleet Science Center. Reporter Tammy Merga then details San Diego's historical ties to NASA, focusing on astronaut Sally Ride, who after retiring taught at UC San Diego and founded Sally Ride Science in 2001 to inspire girls in STEM. Maysoon Lamedi oversees the program, which has served thousands of students, and former attendee Alegra Calderon reflects on its impact as Artemis II inspires a new generation. The episode shifts to military news, with Andrew Dyer reporting on deployments to the Middle East stressing families, and Sarah Howard offering support through the Say San Diego Military Family Resource Center. Next, Andrew Bowen covers the San Diego Velodrome, where USA Cycling races now ban transgender women, leading to legal concerns from attorney Alreen Hagquist and personal stories from racer Talia about discrimination. A scientific review is cited showing trans women on hormone therapy have similar physical abilities to cis women. Alexander Wen reports that AES has canceled a battery project near Escondido due to resident concerns, and John Carroll notes SeaWorld is seeking to replace fireworks with drones to reduce environmental impact. The episode concludes with weekend event ideas, including police-youth board games and rooftop pilates.

As heard by us

A local morning roundup that opens with Artemis II and moves briskly through San Diego news.

The KPBS segment uses Artemis II splashdown day as a clean entry point into San Diego's ties to the space program. It keeps the focus local, linking Lawrence K.

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Why you'd press play

Artemis II splashdown, plus a San Diego morning with local-news range.

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