This is my third Orion launch, but it feels totally different

Ars Technica • March 31, 2026 • science

Key Points:

The author expresses newfound hope for NASA's future under new administrator Jared Isaacman, contrasting with past Orion flights in 2014 and 2022 that felt directionless and overly optimistic without clear plans.
Previous NASA programs, such as the 2014 Exploration Flight Test-1 and Artemis I, were criticized for costly hardware, delays, and convoluted goals like building the Lunar Gateway, which lacked clear justification and complicated lunar missions.
Isaacman has taken bold steps to refocus NASA’s lunar efforts by canceling the expensive Exploration Upper Stage program, ending Gateway-centric plans, and shifting toward establishing a Moon base, securing political support for these changes.
NASA's workforce, long frustrated by bureaucratic obstacles and unclear direction, is reportedly energized by Isaacman’s candid leadership and clear vision, which emphasizes prioritizing lunar surface exploration over political and technical compromises.
Isaacman openly acknowledges NASA’s challenges, including losing the lunar South Pole race to China, and commits to a more pragmatic, goal-oriented approach aimed at restoring NASA’s leadership in space exploration.

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