Ars Technica space journalist Eric Berger joins Chuck Todd to unpack the new global race to the moon — and why it’s about power as much as science. With China poised to beat the U.S. back to the lunar surface, NASA’s Artemis program faces both technological and geopolitical pressure. Berger and Todd explore how space has become the next great stage for competition, where the first shots of a future war could be fired — not on Earth, but in orbit. From SpaceX’s dominance and Elon Musk’s influence, to Blue Origin’s lagging efforts and Boeing’s uncertain role, the conversation digs into who will actually shape humanity’s future beyond Earth.
They also discuss the growing role of private companies in both space exploration and weather forecasting, how AI is reshaping meteorology, and whether we’ll ever see space-based energy or asteroid mining become viable. It’s a sweeping look at how politics, technology, and ambition are colliding — in a sky that’s getting more crowded by the day.
Timeline:
00:00 Eric Berger joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:00 China is on track to beat the U.S. back to the moon
02:30 NASA is still pursuing the Artemis program
03:45 Both the U.S. and China are targeting the moon’s south pole
06:00 If you want to be a superpower, needs a presence on the moon
06:30 SpaceX’s Starship is best equipped for Mars mission
07:15 Best methods of propulsion for long distance space missions
08:30 The biggest reason for lunar landing is geopolitics/flexing
09:15 Treaty says that no country can claim ownership of the moon
10:15 How would a private company stake a resource claim on the moon?
11:45 Has low earth orbit gotten too crowded with man made satellites?
12:45 In the next big war, the first shots will likely be fired into space
14:30 Cooperation in space has diminished, become more nationalistic
16:30 Most countries forced to rely on US, Russia and China for space launches
17:30 UAE is developing space capabilities with NASA’s help
18:15 NASA can’t get to space without private contractors/SpaceX
18:45 Elon Musk is the most important person to spacefight globally
20:15 Blue Origin is far behind SpaceX in capabilities for lunar lander
21:00 Will Boeing’s space program ever deliver?
22:00 Will the first space hotel be in orbit or on the moon?
23:00 There’s very little demand for orbital tourism, very expensive
24:30 Mars missions are incredibly different, will likely be one-way to start
26:00 There are no resources on Mars worth the cost of mining and shipping back
26:45 The only reason to go to Mars is to make humans a space-faring species
27:45 Robots are far superior to humans for scientific research missions
29:00 There’s more water on Europa than Earth, life could be there
30:30 Best places in solar system for humans to possibly create bases
32:15 Is Bezos’s idea of heavy manufacturing on the moon a pipe dream?
33:30 Mining asteroids could provide all the metals we’d ever need
34:15 SpaceX’s Falcon9 rocket made cost of accessing space far lower
35:30 Are energy production advances the best way to sell space costs to taxpayers?
37:15 Space based energy production is far from being commercially viable
38:30 The Europeans surpassed the U.S. at meteorology
39:30 Can AI tools help fill the gaps after U.S. cut funding for NOAA?
40:15 AI hurricane modeling seems to be just as good as physics based models
41:15 Private sector still relies on the government for weather forecasting
42:30 We need better data collection for our weather forecasting
44:45 Private companies are hiring their own meteorologists
47:30 Microforecasting has gotten much better due to the internet
48:38 What does Ars Technica cover and what is its mission?
50:45 Do we know more about the solar system or the oceans?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.