A Political History of Apollo

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Explore the politics of why the United States decided to send humans to the Moon—and why the nation pulled back after landing only six times. Hosted by Casey Dreier, the Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Adviser at The Planetary Society, this special

The Planetary Society


    • Aug 12, 2019 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 13m AVG DURATION
    • 5 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from A Political History of Apollo

    Episode 5 - A Gift or a Curse?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2019 57:02


    In the final episode, producer Mat Kaplan joins Casey to reflect on the lessons and legacy of Apollo. Was it a burden on the space program or a gift for future generations? What can we take away from this single data point of humans walking on another world? And what should we be wary of?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Episode 4 - Why it Ended (With John Logsdon)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2019 73:59


    After more than a decade's worth of work and billions of dollars spent, the United States could send humans to the surface of the Moon whenever it wanted. But after landing only six times, the country just walked away, closing down production lines, laying off tens of thousands of workers, and committing humans to low-Earth orbit seemingly indefinitely. Why did it end? And was this inevitable?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Episode 3 - The Home Front (with Emily Margolis)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2019 58:47


    In 1964, 40% of the public did not approve of Project Apollo, and more than 50% did not think the moon shot was "worth the cost" throughout the 1960s. Kennedy himself questioned the commitment and considered cooperating—instead of competing—with the Soviet Union in space. At the same time, there was an explosion of space-related pop culture and citizen engagement with the space race. Dr. Emily Margolis, whose dissertation was titled Space Travel at 1G: Space Tourism in Cold War America, joins the show to explore the complicated politics of the home front during Project Apollo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Episode 2 - The Soviet Moonshot (with Asif Siddiqi)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2019 93:01


    The Soviet space program launched the first artificial satellite, the first man, and the first woman into space. Soviet cosmonauts performed the first spacewalk and piloted the first two-person spacecraft. But it was the United States that placed the first humans on the surface of the Moon. What happened? Hear additional episodes and learn more here: http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/apollo-50-years.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Episode 1 - How it happened (with Roger Launius)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2019 83:03


    When President Kennedy announced Project Apollo, the United States was locked in a global ideological conflict with the Soviet Union. But how did the idea of a Moon shot come to be the answer to a political problem? And why did it happen when it did? Dr. Roger Launius, former Chief Historian of NASA and currently the Principal at Launius Historical Services, explains why Apollo happened and where it came from. His latest book, Apollo's Legacy: Perspectives on the Moon Landings is available now. Hear additional episodes and learn more here: http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/apollo-50-years.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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