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Mark R. Whittington

Mark R. Whittington

The Hill

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NASA extends its commercial partnerships to Mars

If Aeolus succeeds, then look for more missions like it from a variety of companies.

sunday 1

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Seasoned leadership could help Quantum Space's IPO take off

Bridenstine’s education, experience and knowledge of space issues, as well as his contacts in Washington, will be important.

21.06.2026 9

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

NASA's Artemis III mission is starting to take shape

The Artemis III crew possesses a mix of training and experience that should help to accomplish the mission.

14.06.2026 8

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

NASA’s moon base might be nothing like science fiction's predictions

NASA officials expressed several reasons for making the moon base, in effect, a small city.

07.06.2026 6

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Elon Musk's plans for SpaceX depend on Starship and AI

Along with Starlink and launch services, the company is relying on AI for near to mid-term growth.

31.05.2026 6

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

NASA is forging a nuclear path to Mars

In 2028, if all goes well, NASA plans to test a new technology that could reduce trip times to the Red Planet.

24.05.2026 8

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

After the triumph of Artemis II, now comes the hard part

Artemis III will now take place in low Earth orbit.

17.05.2026 10

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Musk faces significant obstacles to a jackpot compensation package

The list is, mildly speaking, breathtaking.

10.05.2026 9

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Fresh off the heights of Artemis II, Trump wants a lower NASA budget

The emotional response to Artemis II is to want to increase all NASA funding, not to slash it.

03.05.2026 8

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

A space race is a good thing, and we must get ready to win it

Only with the rise of China as a hostile space power has the third attempt to return to the moon taken off, with near universal support.

26.04.2026 10

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

AI and robotics will aid, not end, human space exploration

The new technology of AI paired with robotics will actually enhance human capacity to do useful things.

19.04.2026 10

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

How the flight of Artemis II brought us together

The mission seems to have brought the humans back on Earth together in support and awe of the first voyage to the moon in many decades.

12.04.2026 7

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

The White House vows America will never give up the moon again

The announcement that NASA would begin work on a lunar base in the 21st century was met with near universal acclaim.

05.04.2026 6

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

How the return to the moon is different this time

What if Obama had taken a different tack?

29.03.2026 7

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

NASA is laying the legal groundwork to build its lunar base in 2027

It stems from the question of how to deal with the other great space power, the People’s Republic of China.

22.03.2026 8

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

How Congress became NASA’s partner for the Artemis return to the moon

The 2026 version of the NASA authorization bill that passed out of Senate Commerce is as different from the 2010 legislation as day to night.

15.03.2026 6

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Isaacman makes his mark by revamping the Artemis return to the moon

The return to the moon, long dreamed of, is a reality and not just an aspiration.

08.03.2026 9

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Apollo-era space colony dreams inspire Musk’s moon transport plan

Musk’s vision for cities on the moon and Mars is an attempt to make science fiction a reality.

01.03.2026 7

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

How the free market can free NASA from the Space Launch System

The two biggest commercial space companies are stepping up.

22.02.2026 40

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington

Musk’s lunar city plan supercharges America’s return to the moon

NASA may wind up renting space at the SpaceX lunar city for its explorers and scientists at less cost than if it built one itself.

15.02.2026 6

The Hill

Mark R. Whittington