WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch The Artemis II Moon Mission—and What NASA Is Planning Next
Apr 14, 2026
James B. Meigs, journalist and senior fellow who edited Popular Mechanics, brings space-policy and tech perspective. He reacts to Artemis II's splashdown and the emotional pull of human spaceflight. He weighs lunar costs, why the south pole and refueling matter, and how reusable rockets and commercial landers like Starship and Blue Origin reshape timelines and strategy.
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Being There Establishes Lunar Rights
- Presence on the moon establishes rights and prevents unilateral claims that could lock out others, making lunar return a strategic priority.
- Meigs warns China could assert control over South Pole regions with key resources if the U.S. stays away.
South Pole Has Power And Fuel Potential
- The lunar South Pole offers near-continuous sunlight for power and large deposits of water ice usable for oxygen and rocket fuel.
- Meigs explains crater rims get sustained sunlight and polar ice could enable fuel production on site.
Moon Serves As Mars Testbed
- A lunar base serves as a nearer, lower-risk testbed for Mars technologies like habitation and radiation protection.
- Meigs argues it's easier to trial long-duration life-support systems a few days from Earth rather than months away on Mars.