Former astronaut Leroy Chiao reminded viewers on Newsmax’s America Right Now that the Artemis program remains America’s bold promise to return humans to the moon, a goal that has rallied patriots and space lovers alike. Chiao’s appearance underscored that this is not some left-wing vanity project but a national mission with real scientific and strategic value. His straight-shooting tone was a welcome contrast to the usual Washington spin.
Federal officials have publicly set a target of getting humans back to the lunar surface by mid-2027, with a crewed Artemis flight around the moon planned for 2026 and a landing mission to follow. Those milestones have slipped before, and Americans rightly want concrete timelines and accountability from Washington. It’s entirely reasonable to demand that our space program be driven by results, not by endless bureaucratic delays.
The hard truth is that the Artemis program has been hampered by cost overruns and old-guard procurement choices that favor prestige over performance, running into tens of billions through recent years. Conservative taxpayers should be furious that every dollar spent without clear returns is another dollar taken from families and small businesses. If we want to lead, we should cut wasteful programs, streamline management, and stop letting Washington’s entrenched contractors dictate the timetable.
At the same time, private-sector innovators like SpaceX are proving they can move faster and cheaper, and NASA’s plan to use a Starship Human Landing System for the lunar descent is a smart embrace of commercial muscle. We should be honest: public-private partnerships, competition, and market discipline are what will get American boots back on the moon sooner and keep us competitive with rivals. Washington should cheer on entrepreneurs instead of kneecapping them with red tape and partisan games.
Chiao also highlighted how private companies have offered concrete help in times of crisis, noting offers from industry leaders that were not always embraced by the administration. That anecdote should be a wake-up call: when politics trump pragmatism, American lives and objectives can be put at risk. Conservatives know that empowering the private sector and cutting bureaucratic interference is how we protect our people and advance our interests.
If Republicans are serious about American greatness, they’ll defend sensible funding for NASA while insisting on reforms that reward innovation, speed, and accountability. Backing our space program doesn’t mean signing blank checks for inefficiency; it means demanding results and giving winners the room to perform. This is a test of principles: support American industry, hold officials to deadlines, and stop letting partisan politics delay our destiny.
Returning to the moon is about more than science — it’s about prestige, security, and the next generation’s belief in America’s future. We can and must beat the bureaucrats and foreign competitors by unleashing American ingenuity and common-sense oversight. Let’s stand behind heroes like Chiao who speak plainly, back the companies that deliver, and make sure Washington remembers whose money it’s spending and why.
