Hi there, Quartz members! And happy new year!
An exclusive Q&A with NASA Administrator James Bridenstine
We kick off 2019—and day two of our field guide on human’s return to the moon—with an exclusive interview with NASA Administrator James Bridenstine. The former Republican congressman from Oklahoma has been a booster of private space enterprise, and now he is charged with executing a national space strategy to accelerate growth of that sector. In his interview with field guide author Tim Fernholz, Bridenstine talks about lunar water, orbiting space stations, and the way geopolitics does (and doesn’t) affect the work he and his colleagues around the world do.
We also have a great article on a rare auction of lunar rock. There’s only a tiny amount of moon material circulating among private hands, and this story of a relic from the Soviet space program is an illuminating look at how we value things that are beyond the stratosphere.
Later this week, we’ll continue our look at the moon, with interactives, photo galleries, and more articles to get you up to speed. But for now, I hope you enjoy today’s selection—and I wish you a smart, prosperous, and joyful new year.
Let’s keep learning. Send ideas, questions, comments, and black-eyed peas to members@qz.com.
Hope you have a rewarding day,
Sam Grobart
Quartz membership editor