Bloomberg Businessweek NASA Set to Launch Crew to Moon for First Time in 50 Years
Apr 1, 2026
Ben Gagnon, CEO of Keel Infrastructure, explains a pivot from Bitcoin mining to AI-ready data centers. Andrew Cesarowski, Morgan Stanley portfolio manager, talks markets, oil shocks and positioning. Ed Ludlow, Bloomberg Tech reporter at Kennedy Space Center, gives live coverage of the Artemis II lunar launch and program delays. They cover SpaceX ties, geopolitical stakes around the Moon, energy constraints for AI, and market implications.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Artemis 2 Is A High Stakes Dress Rehearsal
- Artemis 2 is a high-stakes in-space dress rehearsal using the SLS rocket and Orion capsule to slingshot a four-person crew around the moon.
- Ed Ludlow emphasized SLS produces 8.8 million pounds of thrust and this system is the most powerful human-rated launcher since Apollo, flown only once uncrewed in 2022.
Artemis Delays Are Technical And Political
- Delays in Artemis stem from technical challenges (hydrogen leaks, big tanks) and shifting political priorities across administrations.
- Ed Ludlow traced Artemis origins to the 2005 Constellation program and noted the program missed initial 2017 target, hit COVID delays, then had its first uncrewed flight in 2022.
Moon Return Is A Modern Space Race
- The renewed lunar push is geopolitically driven as much as scientific; China aims for the moon by 2030 and NASA targets crewed return by 2028.
- Ludlow noted the moon holds exploitable resources (minerals, oxygen, carbon) and supports long-term goals like Mars via in-space refueling.
