Artemis: Why Are We Really Going Back to the Moon?

April 9, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: This is a classic Science Versus episode—a narrative-driven podcast that pits facts against hype. It's a well-researched, entertaining deep dive into a big question.
The Key Players:
- The Host: Wendy Zuckerman, the energetic and curious narrator who guides us through the science.
- The Experts:
  - Angel Abud-Madrid (Director, Center for Space Resources): The voice of reason on lunar mining.
  - Nicole Zellner (Professor of Physics): The Mars-training advocate.
  - Greg Hallinan (Professor of Astronomy, Caltech): The passionate scientist with a terrible acronym for his telescope.
- The Astronauts: Voices from the Artemis II mission, including the self-proclaimed "space plumber" Christina Koch.
The Vibe: Fun, Educational, and Slightly Skeptical. The show balances awe for space exploration with a healthy dose of "why are we really doing this?"

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Introduction & Artemis 2 Launch** - Host Wendy Zuckerman introduces the episode on returning to the moon, featuring the Artemis 2 mission launch and astronaut reactions.
2 (02:20) **The "Why Are We Doing This?" Question** - Angel Abud Madrid recalls watching the 1969 moon landing as a child, contrasted with his grandmother's skepticism about the purpose of space exploration.
3 (05:16) **Two Big Reasons for Returning** - The episode outlines two main arguments for going back: a lunar gold rush for resources and using the moon as a stepping stone to Mars.
4 (07:57) **The Lunar Gold Rush: Rare Earth Elements** - Angel Abud Madrid explains that while the moon contains rare earth elements (like terbium), mining them is currently not worth the effort.
5 (11:35) **The Lunar Gold Rush: Helium-3** - The episode explores the promise of helium-3 as a clean nuclear fuel, but notes the required technology (nuclear fusion) does not yet exist.
6 (15:26) **The Moon as a Stepping Stone to Mars** - Nicole Zellner argues that the moon is a crucial training ground for Mars, not a literal launch pad, to practice living and working on another world.
7 (19:18) **Training for Mars: Moon Dust & Water** - The episode details the practical challenges of a lunar base, including corrosive moon dust and the need for water, which could be used for rocket fuel.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

The moon race is back! NASA’s Artemis II mission just sent four astronauts around the moon. And other countries — and billionaires — are lining up to take a crack at returning to the moon too. But why are we really going? Some say this is a lunar gold rush, that countries want to mine the moon for resources. Others are saying the real reason to go to the moon today is that it’ll help us get to Mars. To find out, we talk to engineer Dr. Angel Abbud-Madrid, physicist Prof. Nicolle Zellner, and astronomer Prof. Gregg Hallinan. [REBROADCAST]

Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsGoingBackToMoon

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Tom Simko, Professor Jack Burns, Dr. Paul Byrne, Dr. Martin Elvis, Dr. John Mather, Dr. Jennifer Whitten, Dr. Ian Crawford, Dr. Simon J Lock, and Dr. Greg De Temmerman. Special thanks to Chris Suter, Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman family, the Fausther-Keeys family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) We’re going back to the moon!

(06:23) Should we dig up rare earth elements on the moon?

(10:05) Should we go back to the moon for Helium-3?(14:54) The moon as a training ground for Mars

(19:55) The FARSIDE telescope: a portal into the universe’s history

(27:12) So is it worth returning to the moon?

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