Thomas Zurbuchen Urges NASA to Get in the Race, Lauds USA Public / Private Synergy
Zurbuchen, NASA head of science 2016-2022, oversaw 130 missions / 37 launches, founded CLPS program; published op-ed in Scientific American 1 Oct, notes 1960s space race triumph of USA over Soviets, urges similar effort now for “sustained long-term presence” on Moon because “whoever gets there first will set rules”; China has 4-for-4 success rate on landers, may interpret current “vague noninterference rules” to make “parts of the Moon … off-limits for anyone else”; Zurbuchen had “multiple meetings with Chinese leaders” during his NASA stint, knows union of American public / private “can accelerate and radically rethink space exploration”