Leaders | Heavy lift

NASA is an obvious target for Elon Musk’s axe

Its Moon programme is a mess. But DOGE is likely to struggle to cut it to size

The Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket sits on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida
Photograph: Getty Images

They say you should do something you love. Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire nominated on December 4th as Donald Trump’s choice to run NASA, is so keen on space that he has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money to go there not once, but twice.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Heavy lift”

From the December 7th 2024 edition

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America’s gambling boom should be celebrated, not feared

The gambling frenzy is mostly about people being free to enjoy themselves

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It has no government and no budget, and is politically gridlocked


South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul

Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea should resign, or be impeached

His coup attempt was foiled. But grave tests still remain for the country


Joe Biden abused a medieval power to pardon his son

The president’s reversal is understandable, humane and wrong

Lessons from the failure of Northvolt

Governments blew billions on a battery champion. Time to welcome foreign investors instead

How to make a success of peace talks with Vladimir Putin

The key is robust security guarantees for Ukrainians