WEBVTT 00:01.366 --> 00:03.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: NASA's partnership with the private 00:03.433 --> 00:06.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% sector took another key step forward this weekend with a successful moon landing. 00:08.433 --> 00:09.000 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% MAN: We're on the moon. 00:12.900 --> 00:17.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: The Blue Ghost lunar lander measuring only about six-by-11-feet stuck 00:17.233 --> 00:22.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% the landing safely early Sunday, making it the first commercial spacecraft to do 00:24.133 --> 00:27.100 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% so after others tried, but crashed or tipped over once they got to the moon. 00:27.100 --> 00:30.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Blue Ghost is built by the private company Firefly 00:30.400 --> 00:35.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Aerospace. It's carrying a number of experiments for NASA and is part of a 00:35.266 --> 00:40.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% larger effort to have private companies make deliveries for larger missions. 00:40.133 --> 00:42.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Miles O'Brien joins us now. 00:42.300 --> 00:46.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Miles, it's always great to see you. So what is the significance of this Blue Ghost landing? 00:46.766 --> 00:50.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% MILES O'BRIEN: Well, Geoff, it's a big accomplishment for a small private 00:50.066 --> 00:55.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% enterprise to land on the moon. This is not easy stuff. As they say, rocket science is hard. 00:56.566 --> 01:00.133 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% This is part of the overall Artemis program and is truly a 01:00.133 --> 01:04.900 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% highlight in a program which is facing a lot of trouble. Artemis, of course, 01:04.900 --> 01:09.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is the return to the moon campaign over several years. These missions, 01:09.833 --> 01:14.833 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% and this is one of about 11 or so in the coming years, are designed to scout out the surface, 01:17.200 --> 01:22.000 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% determine the radiation environment, try to figure out what to do about that difficult lunar dust, 01:24.066 --> 01:28.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% which can be very sticky and sharp, and also learn how to navigate and land successfully. 01:30.033 --> 01:34.666 align:left position:30% line:77% size:60% They were able, interestingly, to use the Earth-based GPS system to 01:36.500 --> 01:39.200 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% get a fix. So that actually portends well for navigating in the future, 01:39.200 --> 01:42.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% so a glimmer of hope in an otherwise troubled program. 01:42.833 --> 01:44.333 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% GEOFF BENNETT: A glimmer of hope indeed. 01:44.333 --> 01:47.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% How much of a boost is this for Artemis? 01:47.966 --> 01:50.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% MILES O'BRIEN: Well, it helps. 01:50.466 --> 01:54.400 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And it puts Artemis in people's minds. But at the center of Artemis is a giant what some might call 01:57.766 --> 02:02.733 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% white elephant of a rocket. It's now coming in at about $90 billion. I'm talking about the Space 02:04.966 --> 02:08.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Launch System. And it's had a very long and slow and continually delayed effort to get into space. 02:13.400 --> 02:18.400 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% At this point, NASA is projecting a moon landing in 2027. But that's probably pretty optimistic. 02:21.200 --> 02:26.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So this is a program that is looking like it is a ripe target for the DOGE world. 02:29.833 --> 02:33.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: Well, it raises the question, what is Elon Musk's stance on Artemis, 02:33.900 --> 02:37.966 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% especially since he has his own private spaceflight company, SpaceX? 02:37.966 --> 02:40.133 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% MILES O'BRIEN: He's not a big fan. 02:40.133 --> 02:44.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But, interestingly, he does have a key part to play in Artemis. His Starship is -- would be 02:47.033 --> 02:50.600 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% modified and used to actually do the last bit and land on the lunar surface. But the space launch 02:52.633 --> 02:57.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% system itself, he's described as inefficient, a jobs program, not a results program. 02:59.333 --> 03:02.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And he said he wants to go straight to Mars,the moon is a distraction. So that 03:04.466 --> 03:08.700 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% lends itself to a lot of speculation right now that Artemis could very well 03:08.700 --> 03:13.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% be on the chopping block. But we will have to wait and see. The future administrator, 03:15.633 --> 03:19.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the potential administrator, I guess we would expect him to be the administrator, 03:19.600 --> 03:24.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Jared Isaacman, the billionaire who is slated to do that, has hearings. 03:26.700 --> 03:29.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And at that time, we will hear a little bit more about his thoughts on it. But he also 03:29.933 --> 03:34.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% calls it a very expensive way to go. So we will see what happens. But this could be -- these 03:37.300 --> 03:41.133 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% missions, these CLPS missions, could be the real highlight of Artemis when all is said and done. 03:43.066 --> 03:46.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: Miles, is that a widely held view that Artemis is inefficient? I mean, 03:46.033 --> 03:48.366 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% is this program really in trouble? 03:48.366 --> 03:53.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% MILES O'BRIEN: Well, when you look at a rocket that is that far over budget and that delayed, 03:55.000 --> 03:57.333 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% and the key point here, Geoff, is that the rocket they're building is based 03:57.333 --> 04:01.133 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% on old shuttle and basically Saturn V technology. 04:01.133 --> 04:06.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% It goes back many decades. It was supposed to be faster and cheaper. But what they're building 04:08.000 --> 04:10.866 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% is turning out to be very expensive, and it is single-use. And of course, 04:10.866 --> 04:15.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% what SpaceX and Elon Musk have been focused on all this time are reusable rockets. And 04:17.766 --> 04:22.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that obviously over time drives down the cost tremendously of getting to space. 04:22.066 --> 04:26.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And that Starship, although it's not flown a perfect mission yet, 04:26.733 --> 04:31.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% has flown about a half-a-dozen times. And it flies a lot cheaper than the 04:33.700 --> 04:37.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Space Launch System, which right now is - - it's unclear when it will fly next. 04:39.000 --> 04:41.500 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: Miles O'Brien, our thanks to you, as always. 04:41.500 --> 04:42.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% MILES O'BRIEN: You're welcome, Geoff.