What NASA Has to Build Before We Can Live on the Moon

NASA is known for rockets, astronauts and moonshots. But at NASA Langley, the work is also about what happens before and after the launch: the testing, partnerships, aeronautics, technology transfer and long-term thinking that turn impossible ideas into repeatable progress. Joseph Gasbarre, Director of the Strategic Partnerships Office at NASA Langley, talks through the next era of exploration — from Artemis and returning to the moon, to hypersonics, commercial space, regional air mobility and what it will take to build a lasting human presence beyond Earth. The conversation moves from Star Trek and roller coasters to heat shields, lunar infrastructure, AI, NASA's "front door" for innovators, and why Hampton Roads continues to play a major role in the future of flight and space. 0:00 Why going to the moon more often changes everything 2:44 NASA is more than rockets and shuttles 3:04 From Star Trek fan to aerospace engineer 4:14 Artemis, launch day and years of NASA work coming together 7:46 What NASA Langley may study from Artemis reentry 9:04 Testing heat shields, speed and reentry at 32,000 mph 11:15 G-force, roller coasters and Pennsylvania amusement parks 16:31 How NASA recruits the next generation of talent 19:21 Mars travel, moon launches and escape velocity 20:47 Could humans live on the moon or Mars? 23:21 What space movies get right and wrong 24:18 How NASA thinks decades into the future 25:18 NASA's view on AI as a tool 26:32 The rise of commercial space companies 27:08 How innovators can partner with NASA 29:59 Hypersonics and faster commercial flight 31:17 The sonic boom problem and NASA's X-59 32:32 How NASA Langley looks at strategic partnerships 35:13 Putting more things on the lunar surface 36:17 Why launch cadence matters for innovation 37:01 NASA's coming "front door" for partnerships 37:34 Risk, safety and lessons from NASA history 39:48 The infrastructure we don't yet have around the moon 42:23 Handling public criticism and NASA education 45:25 Competing for talent in the space economy 49:35 Why people stay at NASA: mission 50:28 What Joseph wants to see before retirement 51:51 The first "A" in NASA: aeronautics 52:36 The future of flight, eVTOLs and regional air taxis 54:44 What Hampton Roads food should go to the moon? 56:21 Why this is an exciting time to be at the forefront   Subscribe to The Fervent Four: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Innovate757?sub_confirmation=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fervent-four/id1596516837 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7egTPUyiUEZF4QACNKBYI6?si=f9b82187dee54d12