Bill Maher has dismissed the Artemis II lunar mission as an expensive distraction, arguing that the billions of dollars spent on space exploration would be better used to address problems on Earth. In the opening monologue of Friday's episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the comedian said he did not understand the excitement surrounding the mission, adding: 'Let's fix the s*** show here on Earth.'
Maher continued to criticise the voyage during a discussion with guests Douglas Murray and Paul Rieckhoff, describing the Moon as 'just another big f****** rock' and questioning the value of the estimated $4 billion cost. He suggested that space travel was 'for rich people to do for fun' and noted that the Moon is only 250 miles away. 'I have more miles on Delta,' he said.
The Artemis II crew—astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—returned safely to Earth on Friday, splashing down in the Pacific near San Diego. During the 10-day fly-by, they set a record for the farthest crewed spaceflight, surpassing Apollo 13, and captured images of the far side of the Moon.
Maher's remarks drew criticism from Rieckhoff, who called the mission inspiring, and from Fox News commentator Charlie Hurt, who accused the comedian of failing to see the 'magic' of the achievement. Hurt said: 'Bill Maher’s among the least impressive people that I’ve ever listened to.'
