Thomas interviews Dr. Robert Zubrin on the case for space exploration, how private companies such as SpaceX are making it cheaper and easier to reach space, and how freedom is essential for scientific and social progress.

Dr. Zubrin is president of Pioneer Aeronautics and founder and president of The Mars Society. He holds a PhD in nuclear engineering from the University of Washington and is the author of “The Case for Space: How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up a Future of Limitless Possibility.”