Jack Fischer – Space Exploration and Getting (Back) to the Moon

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TechSpective Podcast Episode 068

I’ve always been a huge fan of fighter jets and space exploration–so it was a huge privilege to have Jack Fischer join me for this podcast. Jack “2fish” Fischer (Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Retired) is a combat fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut, and military space operations leader.

Fischer is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Draper Fellow. He flew two combat tours in the F-15E as part of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Focus.

As a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, he conducted flight and weapons testing in multiple variants of the F-15 and the F-22. In 2008, he was selected as a Strategic Policy Intern in Washington, D.C, and served two six-month rotations with senior defense leadership in the Pentagon.

Colonel Fischer then served 9 years as an astronaut at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, including a 2017 mission to the International Space Station where he logged 136 days in space with two spacewalks.

Following his NASA career, he returned to the U.S. Air Force Space Command as the Division Chief for the Global Space Operations Division, followed by being the Vice Commander of the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. He also served as the lead for “Task Force Tango,” a team charged with building the initial design for the U.S. Space Force.

He is now now serving as the VP of Strategic Programs for Intuitive Machines, as well as a military space consultant. We talk about the work Intuitive Machines is doing to develop technologies for the Moon, and the upcoming launches they have planned in 2022 to begin the work of getting man back on the Moon in the near future.

As it turns out, Intuitive Machines is “just around the corner” so to speak–here in the Houston area. I plan to go check out the facility and see what their up to first hand later this year.

Check out the full episode for insights from Jack on the importance of exploring the Moon and what it means for mankind’s broader efforts to explore the solar system.

The podcast itself is audio only, but the video of our conversation is also available on YouTube if you prefer:

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