TechTank Podcast: "Going Back to the Moon"

Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Darrell West (Brookings Institution)
Guest: Casey Dreier (Chief of Space Policy, The Planetary Society)

Episode Overview

This episode of TechTank explores the renewed push for human lunar exploration, particularly through NASA's Artemis program. Host Darrell West interviews Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy at The Planetary Society, to discuss why the U.S. is returning to the moon, the scientific, societal, and economic implications, the critical role of public-private partnerships, and the emerging dynamics of space competition and militarization.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role and Mission of The Planetary Society ([01:17]–[02:42])

• Casey Dreier shares the origin and mission of The Planetary Society, emphasizing its foundation by Carl Sagan and its advocacy for space exploration and science.
• Unique as a public membership-driven organization: "We get to represent the scientific, exploratory, you know, noble aspects of space exploration and to really try to bring people who just are space fans like, like me...taking them into civic action." ([01:25])
• Independence from government and industry funding allows The Planetary Society to freely advocate for scientific exploration.

Why Return to the Moon? ([03:15]–[05:25])

• Returning to the moon is described as an ambitious, technically challenging goal that necessitates "peaceful engagement and cooperation with our allies" and pushes innovation. ([03:15])
• Societal value: Dreier notes, "There is a real factor of inspiration, but also pride and optimism about the future. When you see a joint effort of your nation and allied nations to do something really amazing. There's something good for the soul in that, frankly." ([03:54])
• Broader benefits: Advances U.S. independence and creates infrastructure for potential economic growth in space.

Public Priorities & Perception ([06:10]–[09:37])

• Dreier addresses skepticism about funding lunar missions, acknowledging that society rightly prioritizes pressing Earth-based issues.
• NASA's budget is relatively small: "Right now, 0.3% of annual expenditures in the United States go towards NASA.3...NASA rounds to zero in our annual expenditures." ([06:51])
• Public sees value in scientific exploration, climate monitoring, and asteroid protection—but direct lunar or Mars missions often rank lower. Dreier suggests integrating human missions with scientific objectives to align with public expectation: "What we do with sending humans back to the Moon addresses these fundamental capabilities, particularly scientific research." ([08:44])

Tangible Economic & Societal Benefits ([09:37]–[11:18])

• Technological spin-offs: Innovations like GPS, solar panels, and communication satellites originated from the space program.
• Climate understanding: "Understanding how climate changed at Mars...and at Venus...has grounded our understanding of Earth’s own precarious balance." ([10:44])

Artemis Program’s Political Stability ([11:28]–[15:30])

• Dreier recounts previous failed lunar return attempts and describes how Artemis succeeded by building a broad bipartisan and sectoral coalition.
• Quote: "That's kind of the cost of political stability...if you can't sustain a moon program for more than four years, no matter how beautiful and perfect and optimized the engineering plan is, it doesn't matter." ([13:20])
• Enabling factors: End of Space Shuttle and ISS, availability of funding, and emerging commercial capabilities.

Commercialization of Space ([16:11]–[22:27])

• Dreier highlights the "revolution" in private space sector capabilities, spurred by SpaceX and milestone-based contracts.
• NASA now often "leases" technology as a customer rather than owning it outright—the private company keeps IP and hardware.
• Risks and challenges: Smaller companies may fail; increasing reliance on powerful personalities (Musk, Bezos) introduces unpredictability and reputational risks.
• Quote: "What SpaceX does is up to Elon Musk, and what Blue Origin does is up to Jeff Bezos...space being associated maybe more with Elon Musk these days and Jeff Bezos than NASA." ([21:29])

Risks of Commercialization & Competing Interests ([22:27]–[27:26])

• Potential for science to be marginalized by space tourism, mining, and defense spending.
• Dreier warns, "We don't have to speculate too much because it was all seen as...this shift was all very much onto the commercial side." ([23:35]), referencing recent proposals to dramatically cut NASA science in favor of commercial efforts.
• Reflects on the spiritual and inspirational dimension of space: "There's something that just sits really wrong with me when space just like, actually, no, it's actually about resource extraction, right? And that's like the motivating thing. ...it really diminishes the opportunity we have there." ([25:03])

Advocacy and NASA Budget Defense ([27:26]–[28:01])

• The Planetary Society and allied advocates successfully opposed drastic NASA science budget cuts; Congress largely restored funding.
• Quote: "NASA budget went instead of going down 47%, got a 1.7% cut last year, which is amazing." ([27:54])

Geopolitics & The Militarization of Space ([28:41]–[34:53])

• Dreier analyzes the U.S.-China lunar rivalry, finding the "race" framing more useful politically than practically. China is a formidable competitor, but "The moon's a big place...and we don't exactly know where [resources] are." ([29:50])
• Space program as a proxy for great power competition: Motivating political and funding support for space.
• Militarization context: Space has always had military roles, from Cold War reconnaissance to modern GPS and dual-use (civil/military) technology.
• Ukraine conflict highlighted reliance on commercial space assets for military operations.
• Risks of an arms race in orbit, especially as critical infrastructure becomes a target.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the higher purpose of space exploration:

  "There is a real factor of inspiration, but also pride and optimism about the future.... There's something good for the soul in that, frankly."
  — Casey Dreier ([03:54])

• On the visibility and misconception regarding NASA's budget:

  "NASA rounds to zero in our annual expenditures."
  — Casey Dreier ([06:51])

• On political realities of sustaining lunar programs:

  "If you can't sustain a moon program for more than four years, no matter how beautiful and perfect and optimized the engineering plan is, it doesn't matter."
  — Casey Dreier ([13:20])

• On commercialization's cultural impact:

  "What SpaceX does is up to Elon Musk, and what Blue Origin does is up to Jeff Bezos...space being associated maybe more with Elon Musk these days and Jeff Bezos than NASA. And I think we're not really prepared to think about how that changes things."
  — Casey Dreier ([21:29])

• On existential and societal value:

  "We have this ability for ourselves to traverse our figurative heavens and to learn and explore and understand vast things...That's a good humbling activity...space is almost kind of like a secular role for that."
  — Casey Dreier ([24:47])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Introduction & Guest Welcome | 00:27–01:15| | The Planetary Society’s Mission | 01:17–02:42| | Why Go Back to the Moon? | 03:15–05:25| | Public Opinion & NASA Budget | 06:10–09:37| | Tangible Benefits of Space Exploration | 09:37–11:18| | How Artemis Succeeded Where Others Failed | 11:28–15:30| | Private Companies and The New Space Economy | 16:11–22:27| | Commercial Interests vs. Science & Inspiration | 22:27–27:26| | Advocacy and NASA Budget Cuts Response | 27:26–28:01| | Militarization & The US-China Lunar Rivalry | 28:41–34:53| | Closing Comments | 34:53–35:20|

Tone & Language

Throughout the conversation, both Dreier and West strike an engaged, thoughtful, and slightly nostalgic tone, mixing policy analysis, technical history, and passionate advocacy for science and inspiration in space efforts. Dreier, in particular, emphasizes the "wonder" and societal benefit of exploration, while staying candid about political and industry realities.

Summary Takeaways

• The return to the moon is about far more than planting flags: it's a chance to inspire, unite, and expand our collective knowledge.
• Public support hinges on connecting lunar missions to science and real-world benefits, not just prestige.
• Commercialization brings innovation and risk—but also shifts cultural associations of space away from public ownership to prominent private figures.
• There are real dangers in sidelining scientific discovery in favor of profit-driven or military motives.
• The U.S.-China "space race" is as much about geopolitics and budgets as it is about technical achievement, with militarization quietly accelerating in the background.
• Sustaining space exploration requires broad coalitions, political realism, and continual advocacy for inspiration and science.

This episode offers a comprehensive look at why we are headed back to the moon, what it means for our society, and the challenging cross-currents of public policy, private enterprise, and international rivalry shaping the future of space.