Rand Simberg was our guest for this one segment Hotel Mars program. Our discussion centered on commercial space's role in the U.S. moon return efforts, with particular focus on NASA's Artemis program and the challenges posed by the Space Launch System (SLS) program's high costs and limited sustainability. Concerns were raised about the U.S. potentially losing the moon race to China due to the current focus on SLS, with suggestions to redirect funding toward more innovative space transportation solutions. The conversation concluded with an analysis of human lunar lander development progress between SpaceX and Blue Origin, highlighting both companies' capabilities and challenges in their respective development paths. Read the full summary for this program at www.thespaceshow.com and doctorspace.substack.com for this date, Wednesday, August 6, 2025