Protesters ‘Stand Up For Science’ At Rallies Nationwide | Blue Ghost Lunar Lander

Mar 7, 2025

Kevin Scholtes, an engineer at Firefly Aerospace, shares insights into the groundbreaking challenges of developing the Blue Ghost lunar lander. Dr. Nicky Fox, a NASA administrator, elaborates on the scientific instruments aboard, aimed at probing lunar regolith and dust. Both guests highlight the significance of the lander's successful commercial moon landing, marking a new era in space exploration. They also address the growing political activism among scientists against recent government interference in science, reflecting an urgent call for defending scientific integrity.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Stand Up for Science Rallies

Scientists are protesting political interference in science funding and policy.
The Stand Up for Science rallies are happening across the US and globally, with the largest in Washington, D.C.

INSIGHT

Lack of Organizational Support

Unlike the 2017 March for Science, major science organizations are not formally endorsing this rally.
This reluctance reflects a fear of targeting by the Trump administration.

ANECDOTE

2017 March for Science Impact

The 2017 March for Science, with a million participants globally, was a watershed moment.
Though the March for Science organization dissolved, its activist spirit persists among scientists.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Scientists aren’t always encouraged to be politically active. But recent political interference by the Trump administration has many fired up. And, the Blue Ghost lunar lander, part of NASA’s CLPS initiative, completed the first fully successful commercial moon landing.

Protesters ‘Stand Up For Science’ At Rallies Across The Country

Scientists and defenders of science are gathering in cities across the U.S. today as part of Stand Up for Science rallies, events to protest recent political interference by the Trump administration in science funding. The main rally in Washington, D.C. features speakers including Bill Nye, Dr. Frances Collins and Dr. Atul Gawande, and will advocate for ending censorship, expanding scientific funding, and defending diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Host Flora Lichtman speaks to science reporter Anil Oza, a Sharon Begley Fellow at STAT and MIT, about the runup to Stand Up For Science, and what he’s heard from organizers and attendees. Then, Flora speaks with two listeners, D.C.-based planetary scientist Mike Wong and University of Louisville student Emily Reed, about why they’re fired up to attend local rallies.

Touchdown For The Blue Ghost Lunar Lander

Last weekend, the Blue Ghost lander, built by the Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace, became the first commercial spacecraft to execute a fully successful landing on the surface of the moon. On board the lander were 10 NASA instruments flown as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The lander will be in operation on the moon over the course of one lunar day (about 2 Earth weeks), before running out of battery power as the lunar night falls.

Kevin Scholtes, an engineer at Firefly Aerospace, and Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, join Host Flora Lichtman to talk about building a commercial spacecraft, the role of private companies in spaceflight, and some of the science the mission aims to achieve.

Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.