Eric Berger

Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica

Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, where he covers topics ranging from astronomy to private space to wonky NASA policy, and the author of two books: “Liftoff,” about the rise of SpaceX, and “Reentry,” on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon, which was a USA Today bestseller and named one of The Economist’s best books of 2024. He previously worked at the Houston Chronicle for 17 years, where he was a 2009 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his coverage of Hurricane Ike. A certified meteorologist, he founded the publications Space City Weather and The Eyewall. Berger has an astronomy degree from the University of Texas and a master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri.

Debates Featuring Eric Berger

Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

With Eric Berger, Shannon Stirone

April 11, 2025

Trump said in his State of the Union speech that “we will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” throwing down the gauntlet for the next space race. Some say the colonization of Mars is still science fiction, while others say we should prioritize efforts in that direction, given the geopolitical considerations and the fact that NASA, SpaceX, and other private companies could all play a role. Should the U.S. prioritize the…