Episodes

  • NASA at a Crossroads

    NASA at a Crossroads
    Nov 1 2024
    Norm Augustine, the distinguished aerospace industry veteran behind numerous influential studies, joins the show to discuss NASA at a Crossroads, the new report that raises alarm bells for NASA’s workforce, infrastructure, and technology capabilities.
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    56 mins
  • The space policies of a Harris Administration

    The space policies of a Harris Administration
    Oct 4 2024
    Space expert Lori Garver joins the show to explore Kamala Harris’ space policy priorities, the major issues facing NASA in the next four years, and Garver’s thoughts on the evolution of Elon Musk and NASA’s increasing reliance on the commercial space industry.
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    58 mins
  • The Space Policy of a Second Trump Administration

    The Space Policy of a Second Trump Administration
    Sep 6 2024
    Dr. Greg Autry, who served on Trump’s NASA transition team in 2016 and was nominated for the position of NASA CFO in 2020, joins the show to discuss the space policy issues facing a potential second Trump administration in 2025.
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    59 mins
  • Do we need a philosophy of space exploration?

    Do we need a philosophy of space exploration?
    Aug 2 2024
    Policy expert G. Ryan Faith argues for importance of communal engagement with our values and goals in space exploration. While easy answers may elude us, a careful and considered approach to this effort can help avoid common pitfalls and dead ends and ensure that future generations continue to explore space.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • NASA and the American South

    NASA and the American South
    Jul 5 2024
    Every major NASA center built after the agency’s inception is located in the American South. Why? Dr. Brian Odom, NASA’s chief historian, joins the show to discuss the cultural, political, and historical implications of NASA’s expansion into the South.
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    58 mins
  • Is Human Spaceflight a Religion?

    Is Human Spaceflight a Religion?
    Jun 7 2024
    Holy texts and salvation ideology. Saints and martyrs. True believers and apostates. This isn’t a religion — this is human spaceflight, argues Roger Launius, the former Chief Historian of NASA.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • The power of the lunar sublime

    The power of the lunar sublime
    May 3 2024
    Should policymakers spend more time looking - really looking - at the Moon? Chris Cokinos thinks so. He’s the author of a new book, Still As Bright, which explores the evolving role of the Moon in our culture, our history, and our dreams of spaceflight.
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Real and Acceptable Reasons for Space Exploration

    Real and Acceptable Reasons for Space Exploration
    Apr 5 2024
    Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin discusses his claim that there is a tension between the so-called Real reasons that motivate spaceflight and the prosaic, Acceptable reasons used to justify space exploration within the public sphere.
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    54 mins