TOS Weekly - Will Artemis Succeed Where Apollo Failed?
Plus debating moral realism, celebrating Ayn Rand's We The Living, looking back on Twin Peaks, and marking the birthdays of Thomas Jefferson, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and Richard Trevithick.
Welcome to TOS Weekly!
Human civilization is capable of reaching far greater heights than anything seen until now, and this week’s Artemis II flight around the Moon is a tantalizing glimpse of the future we could have. But the fact that it has taken fifty-four years for humans to return to the Moon is a stark reminder that we could have been much closer to that future by now.
In my new article on the flight of Artemis II, I explore the story of America’s space program from the Apollo to the present day, identifying why it’s failed to achieve its long-held goals of a permanent human presence on the Moon and the manned exploration of Mars and beyond. In answering that question, it becomes clear that the Artemis Program shares many of the same flaws that undermine its predecessors, and that if we want to see a spacefaring future for humankind, a different approach is needed.
I hope you enjoy this week’s articles,
Thomas F. Walker
Managing Editor
What’s New?
From the Archive
We the Living vs. Lockdowns
Ayn Rand's We the Living was first published on April 7, 1936. For one reader, it provided the strength she needed to endure the pain and stress of the 2020 COVID lockdowns.
Twin Peaks, Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost (Review)
Even at its most surreal, Twin Peaks—which premiered on April 8, 1990—never lost sight of what is important: the sanctity of life.
This Week’s Birthdays
“I believe the work The Objective Standard is doing is imperative to the future of our nation.” —Miguel