Failure To Launch
This is a podcast about all the mistakes, failures, and explosions that made space exploration possible.
Episodes
*PREVIEW* LDSS Nauvoo (The Expanse)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, support Failure To Launch on Patreon at any tier.Count the moons, duster! Today, Quinn (Belter), Chris (Martian), and Other Chris (Earther) are talking about the largest ship ever built by humans, the LDSS Nauvoo aka the OPAS Behemoth aka Medina Station. We cover its transformation from an ark for
Nuclear Rockets (w. Scooter)
While most of NASA was focused on the Apollo Moon Program, a separate division was hard at work building then deliberately blowing up nuclear rocket cores all over Nevada. This week, we’re talking to train and nuclear knower Scooter about the weird and convoluted story of American nuclear rockets. Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community!SOURCES:- Nuclear propu
Soyuz-23: Ice Fishing for Cosmonauts (w. Matt Lowne)
A secret military space station, a rookie crew, a flaky autopilot, insufficient batteries, a freak winter storm, and a frozen lake. We’re joined by space and KSP youtuber Matt Lowne to talk about Soyuz-23, the only water touchdown of a Soviet spacecraft and how it very nearly killed its entire crew. Check out Matt’s videos here!Find our merch store hereSupport FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus conten
*PREVIEW* Tatsumaki Class (w. Tex Talks Battletech)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, support Failure To Launch on Patreon at any tier.In the wake of Operation:REVIVAL, House Kurita embarked on a crash WarShip development program to try and match the naval superiority of the Clans. Today, we are joined by Dr. Randolph P. Checkers, one of the Periphery’s finest historians, to discuss
Moon Tank 2: Lunokhod 2 (w. Victoria Scott)
The guy who made the Ultima games owns a space tank. We’re back with auto journalist and podcaster Victoria Scott to keep talking Lunokhod. In Part 2, we go over the journey of Lunokhod 2, lives saved in the Chernobyl Disaster, and the post-Soviet desperation that led to a Moon rover being sold for $68,500. Check out Victoria’s work here and listen to Tran Girlismo!Find our merch store hereSupport
Moon Tank: Lunokhod 1 (w. Victoria Scott)
In a desperate bid to one-up the American Apollo missions, the Soviets built nuclear Moon tanks. We’re joined by auto journalist and podcaster Victoria Scott for a series on the Soviet Lunokhod rovers. In Part 1, we talk about the three-pronged Soviet lunar program, how they built the first space tank, and how you can stay warm in winter with a kilo of Polonium-210. Check out Victoria’s work here
Burn Space Down: The Starfish Prime Shot
On July 9th, 1962, the US Navy lit space on fire from Hawaii to New Zealand and fried a quarter of all active satellites in orbit. This week, we’re joined by engineer and friend of the show Ian to talk about Starfish Prime, the largest nuclear test ever conducted in space, and all the satellites that test killed.Find our merch store hereSupport FTL on Patreon to get bonus content and join our Disc
*PREVIEW* The Lesson (1987)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, support Failure To Launch on Patreon at any tier.For June’s bonus, we’re joined by Ani Mejlumyan of the Lions Led By Donkeys podcast to talk all about The Lesson, a strange Soviet-Armenian animated short about environmentalism. Or possibly John Lennon. Or being so relentlessly horny that you short-
Deep Sea & Space (w. Dr Alan Jamieson)
The earliest manned spaceflights were universally cramped, uncomfortable, and dangerous. What if your job was to do that multiple times a year underwater? This week, we're joined by Dr. Alan Jamieson, an accomplished marine biologist, veteran of many deep sea dives, and a host of the Deep Sea Podcast to compare our respective environments and see how they line up. Check out the Deep Sea Podcas
*UNLOCKED* Gleipnir (Ace Combat X)
More Ace Combat announcements are coming out and we're very excited about that, so we're unlocking our bonus episode from earlier this year on the Gleipnir flying stealthing aircraftlasermissilebattlecarrier. The final boss of superweapon development. A weapon worth double digits of the GDP of Laesath. The universe's most powerful Blue Angel. This time, we're tackling a fan request
*PREVIEW* Despoiler Class (w. 40K Badcast)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
The Coup of OKB-1 (w. Joe Kassabian)
A lot of people know that the Soviets canceled their manned lunar program after losing the Moon Race to Apollo. What most don’t know is how that program ended: in a backroom, cloak-and-dagger palace coup that made one man the unquestioned King of Soviet Space. This week, we’re joined by Joe Kassabian to talk about The Coup of OKB-1 by 𝓜𝓞𝓜. Listen to Lions Led By Donkeys here and check out Joe’s up
NASA Cuts w. Gene Mikulka
In April 2026, while the crew of Artemis 2 was still travelling around the Moon, the Trump administration put forward a budget proposal to gut NASA. This week, we’re joined by space policy analyst and host of the Talking Space podcast, Gene Mikulka, to go over the threats to space science and the grassroots resistance to the cuts. Check out the Talking Space podcast here and follow Gene on Bluesky
NASA Railroad & Soyuz City (w. Gareth Dennis)
Alternate title: Railing Rockets. We're joined by Gareth Dennis, host of the RailNatter podcast, to talk about the intersections of rockets and trains. Gareth came prepared with a wonderful story of horses' arses and the NASA Railroad. Quinn, meanwhile, got sidetracked and wrote about how Soviet OKB head Sergei Korolev accidentally bankrupted a city. Check out RailNatter and Gareth's o
*PREVIEW* Gleipnir (Ace Combat X)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Part 2: Viktor Ilyin, Would-Be Cosmonaut Assassin
The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a motorcycle. We're back for part 2 of our series on Viktor Ilyin and the story leading up to the attempted assassination of Leonid Brezhnev in 1969. Find our merch store here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community!SOURCES: - Into the Cosmos, Asif Siddiqi and James Andrews- The First Cos
Alien Planet & Spec Bio (w. Jay Eaton)
What would alien life look like? Would it look shockingly like an Ho-229 jet fighter? Would it be best researched by an AI with the mind of a preschooler? This week, we're joined by comic artist and speculative biology enthusiast Jay Eaton to talk about potential alien life and a really weird 2005 Discovery documentary, Alien Planet. Check out Jay's webcomic, Runaway to the Stars, here and
*PREVIEW* Mystery of the Third Planet (1981)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Part 1: Viktor Ilyin, Would-Be Cosmonaut Assassin
Cosmonaut Boris Volynov almost died twice in one week in January 1969. The first was when his Soyuz-5 capsule nearly burned up on reentry. The second was when a Soviet Army defector ambushed the motorcade carrying him, seven other cosmonauts, and Premier Leonid Brezhnev with akimbo Makarovs. This is Part 1 of our series into the weird story of an attempted assassination of the leader of the Soviet
*UNLOCKED* Sunshine (2007)
ЩΉΛƬ DӨ YӨЦ ƧΣΣ?On audience request, this time we're reviewing 2007's Sunshine. It's got a great cast, a legendary soundtrack, good reviews, financial failure, and it made Cillian Murphy an atheist.
*PREVIEW* Red Planet (2000)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Skylab 4 - The Myth of the Space Mutiny
No, a trio of astronauts on NASA's Skylab station did not stage a mutiny over poor working conditions. Yes, they would've been justified if they had staged a real mutiny. Today, we're tackling Skylab-4 and the legend of the First Strike in Space. Find our new merch store here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community!SOURCES: - Skylab: The Human Side
*PREVIEW* Operation Crossbow w. Kill James Bond
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Chelomey's LKS Shuttle (w. Alexander The OK)
In the late 70s, OKB-52 head Vladimir Chelomey decided to try and compete with the new Buran space shuttle project. He did it in secret, with stolen funds, and against express orders from the Kremlin. Today, we're talking with space history youtuber Alexander The OK about how it all somehow went wrong. Watch Alex's content here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Di
Mad Mike Hughes, The Flat Earth Rocketman
Like most stuntmen, Michael Hughes had a very confusing life and an overwhelming need to become famous at any cost. In this episode, we cover how that need drove him into conspiracy mania and got him killed flying a glorified pressure cooker. Sources:- DIY Rockets, Daredevils, and the Tragedy of Mad Mike Hughes [WIRED] - "Mad Mike" Hughes Rejected Science and Chased Fame. It Killed Him.
Mittelwerk: Part 6 (w. Joe Kassabian)
CONTENT WARNINGOnly 21 people were ever convicted for crimes at Mittelwerk. Only 1 was executed. This week, we're finalizing our series on the slave factory that produced Hitler's vengeance weapons. Joining us is genocide historian Joe Kassabian to lend his insight on how Mittelbau fit into the larger German camp network and slave labour scheme. Listen to Joe talk more history on Lions Led
*PREVIEW* Men in Black 3 (2012)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 5
CONTENT WARNINGThis week we're back into our series delving into Mittelwerk, the underground rocket factory / concentration camp that produced Hitler's "Vengeance Weapons". In Part 5, we look at the official establishment of the Mittelbau complex and the constellation of subcamps that sprung up around it. SOURCES:Andre Sellier, A History of the Dora Camp: The Untold Story of the
*UNLOCKED* Arkbird (Ace Combat 5)
The White Bird. The Bridge to Peace. Osea's greatest superweapon. Today, we're talking about the High-Altitude Mobile Spacecraft (HAMS) or as it's more commonly known: The Arkbird. We cover everything from its conception in the paranoid heyday of the Cold War, how it was created as a symbol of peace and cooperation, and its use as a weapon of war. Sources:- Arkbird Declaration (2008 G7
Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 4
CONTENT WARNINGThis week we're back into our series delving into Mittelwerk, the underground rocket factory / concentration camp that produced Hitler's "Vengeance Weapons". In Part 4, we take a look at the wider events in Nazi politics and the war in 1944 and how they all filter back to the tunnels under Nordhausen. SOURCES:Andre Sellier, A History of the Dora Camp: The Untold St
*PREVIEW* FTL | Q&A #1
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.Welcome to the first Failure To Launch Questions & Answers episode! Pulling together questions asked on Patreon and our Discord, this is our chance to let the audience see the real Us.
Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 3
CONTENT WARNINGWe are back and continuing our series on Mittelwerk-Dora, the rocket factory concentration camp that churned out Hitler's Vengeance weapons. In Part 3, we cover the foundation of the factory itself, its first months of operation, and the conditions faced by slave labourers from all around Europe in the tunnels under Nordhausen. SOURCES:Andre Sellier, A History of the Dora Camp:
*PREVIEW* Mickey 17 (w. Jacob Dallas)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.We're back and joined by host of The Socialist Shelf podcast Jacob Dallas to talk about 2025's Mickey 17. We go through the plot, the philosophy and ethics of cloning, and how this movie's attitudes toward class issues and dystopia compar
Yuri Gagarin, The Soviet Andrew Tate (w. Milo Edwards)
The Soviet Everyman. The Mayor of Star City. The Crusader Against Hipsters. This week, we're joined by podcast host and comedian Milo Edwards to talk about Yuri Gagarin's colourful post-flight career: becoming a manosphere influencer and the divine role model for all Russian children. Find Milo's work and comedy tour dates here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and Discord
Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 2
CONTENT WARNINGContinuing our exploration into the history of Mittelwerk, the death factory that produced Wernher Von Braun's V2 missiles, we cover the successes of the A4 missile bringing unwanted attention, the use of concentration camp labour at the Peenemunde missile facility, and Operation Hydra, the British plan to bomb that facility flat. SOURCES:Jean Michel & Louis Nucera, Dora: Th
*PREVIEW* Titan AE (w. Josh Boerman & AJ Ditty)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by Josh Boerman and AJ Ditty of the Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to talk about the famous 2000 flop of Titan AE - a showing so bad it killed Fox Animation Studios! We cover the movie itself,
Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 1
HUGE CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS SERIESTo start our retelling of the story of the Mittelwerk death factory, we cover the early history of the Nazi military rocket program. The VfR amateur rocket club, Walter Dornberger, and the internal politics and squabbling that created the infamous Peenemunde rocket test site. SOURCES:Jean Michel & Louis Nucera, Dora: The Nazi Concentration Camp Where Modern
*PREVIEW* Capricorn One (1978)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (w. Joe Kassabian)
Since 1963, it has been illegal under international law to place nuclear weapons in orbit. But the Soviets were brave enough to ask: "What is orbit, really?". This week, we're talking to Joe Kassabian (@JoeKassabian), host of the Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast, about OGCh or FOBS, the Soviet superweapon attempt to beat America's missile shield. And a whole lot of OKB politics. Foll
The Cosmology of Alex Jones (w. Dan Friesen)
As part of our ongoing series on space conspiracy theories, we brought in expert help to tackle one of the most virulent conspiracy theorists of our day. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by Dan Friesen of the Knowledge Fight podcast to talk about all the dumb things Alex Jones believes about space. What has happened in space, what will happen in space, and whether Alex will get
*PREVIEW* Sunshine (2007)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
NASA Before Vostok 1
In early 1961, NASA was actually very well positioned to launch an American into space before the Soviets. Then they messed it up. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris take a look into what was happening at NASA in the months before Vostok 1 flew. We cover the infamous Four Inch Flight, the first chimp in space, and the debate over how safe a rocket should really be before strapping Alan Shepa
*UNLOCKED* Stalker (1979)
This is an unlocked patreon bonus episode. If you want to hear more content like this, consider supporting FTL on Patreon.For this bonus, we've got Chris, Other Chris, and returning guest Nicholas Slayton getting Tarkovsky-pilled again and talking about the 1979 classic Stalker.
Nasser's Missile Program and Operation Damocles (w. Devon)
In 1962, President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt (or the UAR) showed the world his newest toys: a set of tiny, dinky missiles that could carry 60 kilos of explosives apiece. Needless to say, the head of the Israeli Mossad flipped out and ordered a campaign of assassinations on the German scientists who'd built them. This week, we're talking to Devon from the Kill James Bond podcast about Operation D
That Time Buzz Aldrin Decked Bart Sibrel (Astronauts Gone Wild)
𝔾𝕠𝕕'𝕤 𝕀𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕪This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris subject themselves to Moon landing hoaxer Bart Sibrel's second "documentary", Astronauts Gone Wild. Spoiler: there's precious little astronauts going wild and it's bad even as conspiracy propaganda. Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes!Theme song provided by DJ Danarchy
*PREVIEW* The Arkbird (Ace Combat 5)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Soyuz T-10A
Sometimes it's better not to go to space. This week, we're talking to guest and space industry engineer Robin about the story of Soyuz T-10A or "that time the LES flung a Soviet crew to safety 3 seconds before their rocket detonated". Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content!Sources:- Soyuz T-10A: The First Crewed On-Pad Abort, Drew LePage- Russianspaceweb, Anatoly ZakTheme song provided by
1980 Plesetsk Disaster
CONTENT WARNINGThis week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are covering the 1980 Plesetsk Cosmodrome explosion, probably the 2nd most lethal accident in space history. Sources:- RussianSpaceWeb, Anatoly ZakTheme song provided by DJ Danarchy
*PREVIEW* Marooned (1969)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
The 2007 ASAT Test & Space Militarization
Ever since satellites have existed, people have wanted to find ways to kill them. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are taking a look at the 2007 Chinese Anti-Satellite Test - the largest debris-creating event in space history - and the larger trend of nations trying to turn Low Earth Orbit into the zero-g Somme. Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content!Sources:- Characteristics and
*PREVIEW* Moon Zero Two (1969)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
Part 3: Jack Parsons and Babalon
Heartbreak can be a terrible thing and people work through it in all kinds of ways. Some people drink. Some people attempt to summon an incarnation of Babalon to be their new girlfriend. We're back and we're talking with rocket test engineer Guest Chris about Jack Parsons. In this episode we cover the downfall of Jack Parsons and his ostracization from both the scientific and magical commu
Part 2: Jack Parsons. Devil Summoner, Rocket Scientist, YA Author
Jack. 210. 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖒𝖆 𝕺𝖇𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖚𝖒 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖈𝖊𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖔 𝕬𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖘 𝕹𝖚𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖆𝖊. John Whiteside Parsons went by many appellations. In part 2 of our series, we talk to rocket test engineer Chris about how Jack got into Thelema and how he pioneered a frightening amount of modern rocket fuels while chainsmoking. Sources:- Strange Angel, George PendelTheme song provided by DJ Danarchy
Part 1: Jack Parsons, The Satanist Rocket Visionary
In a field of weirdos and freaks, Jack Parsons is broadly considered the weirdest freak of all. This week, we're joined by guest and space engineer Chris for our series on the life, accomplishments, and sex life of John Whiteside Parsons. Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content!Sign up to the FTL Patreon at any tier and get access to our new Discord community. Sources: - Strange Angel,
Toyohiro Akiyama & Glavkosmos (w. Josh Boerman)
In the late 80s, the Soviet Union attempted to dominate the commercial launch market. Their principal success was launching the most miserable salaryman into orbit. Today, we're joined by Josh from The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to talk about Glavkosmos, the Soviet private space program.
Find Josh and Worst Of All Possible Worlds here
Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Part 2: Nikolai Kibalchich, the Rocket Pioneer Who Blew up the Tsar
𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚏𝚕𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎. This week, we're back talking to Kelly from Canuck Is A Slur to finish up our series on Nikolai Kibalchich, the rocket visionary who blew up Tsar Alexander II.
Follow Canuck Is A Slur here!
Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Source:
- Nikolai Ivanovich Kibalchich: Terrorist Rocket Pioneer, Lee B Croft
Theme song provided by DJ Dana
Part 1: Nikolai Kibalchich, the Rocket Pioneer Who Blew up the Tsar
A travelling clown, a socialist revolutionary, an assassin, an edgelord. Today, we talked to Kelly from Canuck is a Slur about the strange life of one of the first men to theorize manned rockets and also blew up Tsar Alexander II, Emperor of Russia. Come back for Part 2, where we cover the assassination and how he factors into space history.
Follow Canuck is a Slur here!
Support Failure To Launch
*PREVIEW* Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.
The DLR and the Art of Satellite Operations (w. Jake)
A communications satellite is a bundle of computers (all made by different people) the size of a minivan. Coordinating all these systems to work together, send info to Earth, and accept new commands is nightmarish. This week, we're joined by Jake, a software engineer at the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) to learn a little bit about spacecraft operations.
Follow along with Jake's slides
Su
Andree's Arctic Balloon Expedition (w. Joe Kassabian)
Expedition Packing List. Food: 200 lb / Sledge: 150 lb / Science Equipment: 50 lb / Bear Meat: 12,000 lb. Today, Quinn and Chris are joined by Joe Kassabian, host of the Lions Led By Donkeys podcast to talk about a Victorian aerospace disaster: S A Andrée's attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon.
Follow Joe here!
Support Failure To Launch on Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Sources:
- The Ic
*PREVIEW* Stalker (1979) w. Nicholas Slayton
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our Patreon at any tier!
*UNLOCKED* Solaris (1972)
This is an unlocked patreon bonus episode. If you want to hear more content like this, consider supporting FTL on Patreon.
This month, we're mixing things up and achieving a first for this show by reviewing an actually good space movie, Tarkovsky's 1972 classic Solaris, itself based off Stanislaw Lem's novel of the same name.A big thanks to returning guest Nicholas Slayton for
bringing his Tarko
Lost Cosmonauts (w. Jake Rockatansky)
If you were a cosmonaut and you knew you were about to die, why wouldn't you announce your last words in a comedy Italian accent? Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by Jake Rockatansky (@RealRockatansky) of the QAA podcast to talk about the Lost Cosmonaut conspiracy theory, how it has evolved over the decades, and the Italian brothers most responsible for inventing it.
Support FTL on Patreon
*PREVIEW* Mars & April (2012) w. Born Under Punches
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our Patreon at any tier!
Big thanks to Kelly for coming on! Check out his stuff at:https://linktr.ee/bornunderpunchs https://patreon.com/bornunderpunchs
Dumitru Prunariu, Covered Up for Being Too Cool
The first Romanian in space never set out to be a cosmonaut. He just loved to fly. Today, we're talking about Dumitru Prunariu, his unlikely path to space, and how he ran afoul of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, Romania's dictator duo.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Sources:
Interkosmos: The Eastern Bloc's Early Space Program, Bert Vis & Colin Burgess
Music by DJ Danarc
Gemini 8: The Orbital Spin Cycle
The first man to walk on the Moon was nearly spun to death three years before Apollo 11. We're back and talking with space engineer Scott about Gemini 8, the first orbital docking between two spacecraft and how it went horribly wrong.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Sources:
- On the Shoulders of Titans: A History of Project Gemini
- Gemini 8: The First Docking in Space, Dre
*PREVIEW* First on the Moon (2005)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our Patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch
Soyuz T-15: Space Truckers (w. Nicholas Slayton)
This week, we're rejoined by journalist and friend of the show @NSlayton to talk about Soyuz T-15, probably the coolest space mission ever attempted.
Read Nicholas' work at Task & Purpose and on his Newsletter!
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content
Sources:
- Mir Hardware Heritage, NASA
- The Story of Space Station Mir, David M Harland
- The work of space radio tracker
*PREVIEW* Spaceman (2024)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our Patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch
The Damascus Incident (w. War_Takes)
In September 1980, a fuel leak in a Titan II missile silo came close to turning Damascus, Arkansas, into a crater. This week, we're joined by guest @War_Takes to talk about the atomic spud gun, the folks who fought to prevent it, and how they were punished for their efforts.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus episodes!
Sources:
- Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program, Da
SSV-33 Ural (w. Lions Led By Donkeys)
In order to spy on American satellites and missile tests, the Soviets built the USS Mobile Chernobyl. We're back and joined by Joe and Tom from Lions Led By Donkeys (@lions_by) to talk about the SSV-33 Ural, the world's largest spy ship.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Theme song by DJ Danarchy
*PREVIEW* Eolomea (1972)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch
The Science of Launch Forecasting
Cape Canaveral is in Florida. Vandenburg launch site is in California. Today, we're joined by meteorologist and former launch forecaster Tenki to talk about the unique problems both face and why lightning and rockets should never mix (see: Apollo 12).
If you want to watch this as a video with Tenki's slides and visuals, we will have it posted on Youtube shortly. Subscribe to the channel s
*UNLOCKED* Planet of the Storms (1962)
What if mankind's first contact with alien life was through the barrel of a WW1-era German handgun? We're unlocking our first bonus episode for you, the audience!
If you want more of this, consider signing up on Patreon!
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon (2001)
We're back and talking about a very dumb Moon Landing Hoax "documentary". Also a fun history primer on how the Moon Hoax conspiracy theory got off the ground evolved over the decades.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Read Paolo Attivisimo's Moon Hoax: Debunked!
Theme song by DJ Danarchy
*PREVIEW* Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch
Somehow it escaped our brains till now that CODBLOPS has a mission where you shoot down Soyuz 2.
The CIA Luna Heist (w. November Kelly)
History content starts at 19:25
In 1959, the CIA and Mexican DFS stole a Soviet lunar probe in possibly the dumbest heist in spying history. This week, we're joined by @postoctobrist to talk about the CIA Luna Heist.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content!
Read space historian Drew LePage's articles on the first moon race!
Sources:
- MIT Technology Review Article on the Heis
Part 2: The Apollo 1 Disaster
In response to a lethal accident, NASA pulled off the crisis communications hattrick: lying to the public, lying to Congress, and lying to the Senate. This week, we're back talking to Kyle about the investigation and fallout of the Apollo 1 fire.
Support FTL through Patreon and unlock bonus content.
Sources:
- NASA Apollo 204 Disaster Report
Theme song by DJ Danarchy.
*PREVIEW* Space Amoeba (1970)
This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch
Part 1: The Apollo 1 Disaster
*CONTENT WARNING*
A rushed development process, a faulty design, and non-existent quality control. This week, we're joined by space industry engineer Kyle (Skyhawk) to talk about the leadup and events of the Apollo 1 disaster.
Sources:
- NASA Report on AS-204
- Chariots for Apollo, Courtney G. Brooks
- Apollo 1: The Tragedy That Put Us On The Moon, Ryan S. Walters
Theme song by DJ Danarchy
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