"If NASA and United States can not beat the Chinese back to the moon, then the moon belongs to the Chinese, and we get what we deserve." You don't want to miss this interview. I met Casey Handmer (@CJHandmer) while flying fighter jets in Montana. I Immediately I knew he had a story to tell. Turns out he wants to tile the United States in solar panels, and use that power to generate rocket fuel and clean water for tens of millions of people. Basically to re-invent American industry. In this interview Casey discusses the innovative pursuits of his company Terraform Industries. He reflects on his previous roles at NASA and JPL, where he was frustrated with the inefficiencies and lack of innovation in traditional institutions. Handmer discusses the importance of ambition, self-awareness, curiosity, and practical experience in hiring and developing talent at Terraform. To fully understand the scope of Casey’s ambitions, you should visit his blog where he discusses things like Mars helicopters and desalination to support a new mega city in California. 00:00:00 - 00:00:17 Geopolitical Stakes: US vs. China in Space Race 00:00:17 - 00:01:17 Interview Introduction: Casey's Background and Topics 00:01:17 - 00:03:10 Podcast Setup and Welcome to Terraform Industries 00:03:10 - 00:04:40 Building History and Manufacturing Interest 00:04:40 - 00:07:17 Meeting at Hangar Event and Aircraft Engineering 00:07:17 - 00:20:45 Early Life: Hands-On Building and Career Path 00:20:45 - 00:40:00 Founding Terraform: Synthetic Fuels Vision and Prototypes 00:40:00 - 01:00:00 Technology Deep Dive: Solar to Hydrocarbons and Scaling 01:00:00 - 01:20:00 Energy Geopolitics and US Reindustrialization 01:20:00 - 01:40:00 Team Building, Hiring Philosophy, and Company Culture 01:40:00 - 02:00:00 Hardware vs. Software Challenges and Entrepreneur Advice 02:00:00 - 02:22:24 Future Visions: Desalination and New Cities 02:22:24 - 02:36:39 Closing Call to Action and Thanks