America is getting excited about space again.

That was one of NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstines chief takeaways from a recent phone call from movie star Tom Cruise.

He said he was interested in doing a movie on the International Space Station and wanted to talk about that, said the Tulsan, who takes it as another good sign that a renewed national emphasis on space exploration is inspiring people.

Bridenstine, a former U.S. congressman representing Tulsa who now heads the nations space agency, was the guest Tuesday for a virtual discussion hosted by the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

Fresh off the historic SpaceX launch and with NASAs sights set on both the moon and Mars Bridenstine said he couldnt be more excited to be leading the agency at this time in history.

We have a presidential administration right now that is putting space on steroids, he said. They really see this as part of American greatness. We need to do stunning achievements. The world needs to see it. The world needs to partner with us on these things.

Bridenstine added: Its hard to lead on earth if youre not leading in space. And I think thats as true today as it was in the 1960s. We havent had this much support for space activities since John F. Kennedy.

A collaboration between NASA and Elon Musks SpaceX firm, the spacecraft launch on May 30 carried two NASA astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, to the International Space Station.

The pair were the first astronauts the U.S. had launched into space in almost a decade since the space shuttle program ended in 2011.

Bridenstine said NASA is also moving forward with the Artemis program, the goal of which is to return to the moon by 2024, establish a sustainable presence there and let it pave the way for a mission to Mars.

Artemis, he added, will involve another milestone: the first woman to set foot on the moon.

We love the Apollo program. History loves the Apollo program, said Bridenstine. But in those days all of our astronauts came from a fighter pilot or test pilot background and there were no opportunities for women, and very few opportunities for underrepresented minorities.

This time, we have a very robust, very capable, very talented and very diverse astronaut corps.

The SpaceX launch marked the first time a commercial aerospace company carried humans into Earths orbit.

Bridenstine said private-sector partnerships will be the model for how space is explored in the future, and that SpaceX has demonstrated its potential.

Asked about Oklahomas possible future role in space exploration, Bridenstine highlighted the University of Oklahomas GeoCarb program, for which it was awarded a $161 million government contract.

OU has got the absolute best weather scientists, he said, adding that they are going to help NASA better understand the correlation between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and weather events.

He said, If the program is successful and we can get good science out of it, I think theres going to be a lot of missions that come after that at the University of Oklahoma, and then we build from there.

He added that the Choctaw Nation, which has a test range, is playing a role in urban air mobility.

I know it sounds like science fiction, he said of whats been described as a flying taxi service. But theres billions of dollars of investment going into that right now.

Speaking of Elon Musk, whose automobile company Tesla is reportedly looking at Tulsa as a possible site for a new factory, Bridenstine was asked if hed had a chance to plug Tulsa with the entrepreneur.

I have not personally pitched him on it, he said, adding that he has to be careful as the head of a government agency.

What Ill tell you is that certainly Elon Musk knows that Im from Tulsa. He knows that I love Tulsa and I live here by choice.

I think Tulsa would be a great selection, Bridenstine added.

The virtual audience on Tuesday included area school students, chamber officials said.

Bridenstine said he hoped that young people are motivated by all the exciting things happening.

If you go around the country and talk to the engineers and the scientists that work for us, who are of age, they will tell you exactly where they were when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, he said. Those are moments of inspiration that transform lives.

He said he hopes the SpaceX launch and upcoming Artemis mission can provide those moments for a new generation.

Heres this whole generation of young people that dont remember the last time we flew humans into space from American soil, he said.

But if all goes as planned, the next generation should have some inspiring memories all its own. Asked where the space program will be in 20 years, Bridenstine said:

There is a very real chance, depending on budgets and how they materialize, that we could have a crew on Mars, or maybe even coming home from Mars.

Original post:

'Leading in space': NASA chief Bridenstine talks SpaceX, Mars and the first woman on the moon with Tulsa Regional Chamber - Tulsa World