Podcast 218 dropped. Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik brought out planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee to tear apart NASA’s latest lunar ambitions. Specifically, the idea of a permanent home in the South Pole.
It sounds cool on paper. Artemis V is the start line. But let’s get real about the location.
The poles are brutal. We aren’t talking about a light winter coat. This is the most hostile corner of a planet already trying to kill you. Pascal argues we might be putting the cart before the horse. Is the shadowed crater really the best place to break ground? Maybe not.
News Briefs
Things are moving fast this week. China just caught a rocket landing from an orbital launch. First time ever. Big deal.
Elsewhere, NASA’s New Horizons woke up from the slumber. Six billion miles from home. Past Pluto. Just sitting in the dark, wondering why it’s there.
Sad news though. Wally Funk, the legend, died at 87. She wasn’t just an astronaut. She was the kind of trailblazer who makes everyone else look good. Miss her.
The poles are likely the most challenging places to set up shop.
There’s also a new push for power. NASA and the Department of Energy want a reactor on the moon’s surface by 2030. Powering up.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for older plans, look up Project Horizon on Wikipedia. It’s wild reading. Or check the Artemis Accords, the new rulebook everyone is signing.
Build Your Own Rocket
Want a piece of SpaceX? Not the real kind, obviously. The legal kind.
Estes sells a scale model Falcon 9. It looks sharp. $149.90 roughly. You can launch it. Yes. Actually fly the thing. Use code IN-COLLECTSPACE to knock 10% off. Courtesy of our friends at collectSPACE.com.
About The Show
This Week In Space airs every Friday. No corporate jargon. Just a deep dive. The race to Mars, the lunar real estate market, what’s actually happening with SpaceX’s crew plans.
We dig in.
Why rush for the poles when the equator waits?
Nobody really knows. That’s why we watch. And listen. 🌕
