Economist Podcasts Over the moon: Artemis II launches
20 snips
Apr 2, 2026 
Oliver Morton, senior editor and space-policy writer, joins Deena Mousa, a science writer on AI and research, and Gabriel Crossley, a Beijing-based China correspondent. They get into Artemis II and America’s moonbase ambitions. Then it turns to AI’s weak performance beyond English. Finally, they explore China’s viral officials and the politics of going online.
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Watching Artemis II Through Its Most Dangerous Moments
- Rosie Blau and Oliver Morton narrate Artemis II's launch live, from max Q to booster separation and a moonrise view from orbit.
- Morton calls booster jettison the real relief point because solid rocket boosters caused the Challenger disaster.
Artemis II Matters Because It Enables A Moon Base
- Oliver Morton says Artemis II mainly exists to enable later missions, especially Artemis III and IV, which aim to land crews and begin a lasting lunar presence.
- NASA shifted from Apollo-style symbolism to building something like an Antarctic research station, but delays and engineering gaps still threaten the plan.
The New Moon Push Is Mostly About Prestige
- Morton argues the new moon push is less about discovery than avoiding the prestige loss of watching China reach the moon first.
- He says a moon base also fits an American self-image of reopening the frontier and proving the country still goes outward and does hard things.