Eric Berger is Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica and the author of Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age. In this Astro Ben Podcast interview, host Ben Gamble talks with him about the book and about where the space industry stands today.
Eric discusses the Polaris Dawn mission, NASA's Crew-9 launch delay and the Starliner date being pushed back, and the role of billionaires in space. He looks back at SpaceX's technical challenges from 2008 to 2020, why Gwynne Shotwell matters to the company, and what Falcon Heavy meant. They also cover Artemis, China, New Glenn, whether reusable rocket companies gain a first-mover advantage, Stoke Space, and whether Elon Musk's vision and involvement in politics make SpaceX's plans too ambitious.
If you follow SpaceX, commercial launch or the new space economy, this is a wide-ranging conversation with one of the best-known space reporters. For more, hear John Conafay on software for space mission management or Adriano Autino on a UN space goal, or browse the full Astro Ben Podcast archive.
What you will hear
Polaris Dawn, Crew-9 and the Starliner delay
Billionaires in space and their role in exploration
SpaceX's technical challenges from 2008 to 2020, as told in Reentry
Gwynne Shotwell's importance and the significance of Falcon Heavy
Artemis, China, New Glenn and Stoke Space
Whether reusable rocket companies gain a first-mover advantage
Elon Musk's vision for SpaceX and whether it is too ambitious
Guest links
Eric Berger: Reentry on Amazon, Reentry at Penguin Random House, X
Listen
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