This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Bachelor. Hotel Mars. Episode N. My colleague and co-host, David Livingston,

Dr. Space of the Space Show joins me. And we're going to the moon. At least that is the ambition.

We're joined by Mark Whittington, the author of a book that guides us why America is going back to the moon because it contains the backstory, including this remark by President Kennedy at the time.

Yet the vows of this nation can only be fulfilled if we in this nation are first, and therefore we intend to be first.

In short, our leadership and science and industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations

to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries,

to solve them all for the good of all men,

and to become the world's leading space-faring nation.

Mark, a very good evening to you. That is from the speech where President Kennedy said,

we're going to sail this sea. That was then. This is now. We have not returned to the moon

since the 1970s, and there is a plan now who return to the moon. So it's good to restate.

First of all, we need to welcome you because you give us the quote of Senator Kennedy and then President Kennedy.

However, I don't see anything as eloquent today.

I turn to you and say, what is your opinion right now about why America is going back to the moon?

Because that's the plan.

Good evening to you, Mark.

Good evening, and thanks for having me.

As far as your question goes,

I think it's similar to what it was in 1961.

We're involved in a space race.

Back then, it was the Soviet Union.

Now it's the People's Republic of China.

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