Former Space Agency Head: The Real Reason We Aren't on the Moon (It's Not Technology)

Space Café Podcast - Navigating Our Interplanetary Ambitions

Giorgio Saccoccia – former President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), propulsion engineer, and lifelong “space fan.” From lunar outposts and electric thrusters to space-as-diplomacy, Saccoccia brings four decades of insight into turning quick “flags-and-footprints” missions into a permanent human presence beyond Earth.

Key Moments

⏱ Time Topic
| 00:00:20 | Bootprints vs. Blueprints – Why Apollo was a sprint and why Artemis (or its successor) must be about settlement, not headlines.
| 00:02:34 | Technology, Then & Now – Interfaces, autonomy, data, and why ISRU plus small nuclear reactors will make the lunar south pole viable.
| 00:06:47 | Risk, Politics & Timing – Modern risk tolerances, geopolitics, and what still has to be fixed before Artemis-3 can launch.
| 00:13:14 | The Storytelling Vision – From exploration “genes” to concrete incentives for returning to the Moon (science, resources, sustainability).
| 00:22:00 | Space as Diplomacy – Salyut, Skylab, ISS, Gateway and how shared hardware keeps dialogue alive when terrestrial politics fracture.
| 00:35:34 | Public–Private Tandem – Why big missions (Moon bases, Mars) will remain a joint venture between agencies and entrepreneurs.
| 00:38:14 | Propulsion Futures – Chemical for launch/landing, electric (ion & Hall-effect) for cargo logistics; Smart-1, BepiColombo, and saving tonnes of propellant.
| 00:57:36 | Italy & Europe’s Niche – Pressurised modules, lunar-hab know-how, and the political heft of a united EU in exploration.
| 01:05:00 | Essential Qualities for 2040 Leaders – Curiosity and passion: the timeless fuel for the next generation of space pioneers.
| 01:06:25 | Personal Touches – Playlist pick: Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” and why a macchiato captures Saccoccia’s philosophy of balanced openness.

Relevant Links & References

• ESA Exploration Programme – https://www.esa.int/Exploration
• NASA Artemis Overview – https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/
• ASI (Italian Space Agency) – https://www.asi.it
• BepiColombo Mission – https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/BepiColombo
• SMART-1 Electric-Propulsion Legacy – https://sci.esa.int/web/smart-1
• ISS Modules & Partnership – https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/index.html

Spread the Cosmic Love!

If Giorgio’s pragmatic-but-visionary roadmap fired your thrusters, share this episode with engineers, policy-wonks, and dreamers who see exploration as humanity’s best peace project.

Space Café Podcast – where big ideas fuel the next giant leap.

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