Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
06/01/2026
Rocket blast threatens NASA moon missions
The massive explosion last week of a rocket on a Florida launch pad has apparently blown a big hole in NASA’s plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2028. The space agency’s Artemis program depends on rockets and spacecraft built by two of the world’s richest men, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Tesla’s Elon Musk. The only launch pad for Bezos’ New Glenn rocket was destroyed in last week’s blast, and it could take a year or more to rebuild. Musk also had a “mishap” last week during a launch of his Starship rocket.
■Class discussion: Should NASA rely on private companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX for major advances in rockets and spacecraft design? Why or why not? Have those private efforts been successful? How much power do billionaires like Musk and Bezos have over U.S. space and defense policies? Do virtually all government programs depend on private contractors? How much government money buys goods and services from businesses? Has competing for that government money always been the primary source of official corruption?
