What does it actually take to send humans back to the moon? This week on Pod Have Mercy, John sits down with NASA engineer Jimmy Warner to talk about the future of space exploration, moon bases, Mars missions, and the real science behind the Artemis program. Jimmy shares stories from his 18 years at NASA working on projects including Orion, the Space Shuttle, Gateway, and future lunar habitat systems.

The conversation explores everything from lunar dust and ion propulsion to space station living, flat earth conspiracies, sci-fi movies, and the spiritual awe that comes from seeing Earth from space. Jimmy also shares how NASA is preparing for permanent human presence on the moon and why the moon is only the first step toward Mars.

It’s a fascinating conversation about science, engineering, wonder, and what humanity’s future in space could look like.