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Former astronaut Leroy Chiao’s recent appearance on America Right Now should remind every patriotic American what this country does best when it gets out of its own way: dream big and get the job done. Chiao’s optimism about NASA’s Artemis effort, and the reported goal of returning humans to the Moon by 2027, is a breath of fresh air after years of bureaucratic dithering. We should listen to people who’ve actually flown in space instead of career politicians and paper-pushing administrators who love process more than progress.
Make no mistake: the nuts and bolts are falling into place, with NASA’s Artemis II crewed lunar flyby on track for early 2026 and Artemis III targeted for a lunar landing in 2027 as the program’s next big milestone. Those timelines aren’t wishful thinking — they reflect hard work by engineers and private partners who’ve delivered when it counted. Americans deserve credit for building momentum toward a comeback on the Moon after half a century away.
But progress comes from bold partnership with private industry, and SpaceX’s Starship tests have been crucial to that revival. Recent successful Starship test flights and the company’s role as the chosen Human Landing System show the private sector delivering capability at a pace and cost the federal government alone could not match. This is proof positive that when government backs winners instead of micromanaging every bolt, American innovation leads the world.
That partnership carries risk; Artemis III’s success depends on getting a Starship HLS staged and ready in lunar orbit before the crew leaves Earth, and schedule slips or engineering setbacks could still force adjustments. Sensible oversight is necessary, but what we need far more of is accountability — not leadership that punishes success with endless reviews while rivals race forward. If the goal is American leadership in space, we must prioritize mission success over political theater.
Conservative taxpayers have every right to demand that their dollars produce results, not endless studies and symbolism. It’s entirely reasonable to insist on transparency about budgets and timelines while cheering on American astronauts and the companies that put metal in the sky. Bald-faced bureaucratic waste should be rooted out, but we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater by gutting the mission or allowing petty politics to stall real progress.
Above all, this is a competition for the future. Global rivals, especially China, are not taking a break while we argue in Washington; they see the strategic and economic power of dominating lunar and cislunar space. Congress and a conservative administration ought to unify behind a clear, properly funded strategy that leverages American private industry to beat autocracies at their own game.
If Leroy Chiao’s confidence is contagious, good — because America needs that can-do spirit back in the driver’s seat. Hardworking Americans understand that bold goals and competent execution are how we rebuild our industries, inspire our kids, and keep our nation secure. Let’s fund the mission, back the engineers and entrepreneurs, and bring Americans home to the Moon with the pride and purpose this country deserves.
