10 Podcasts on Space That Venture Beyond Earth

Emily and Alexa chat with NASA Historian Lois Rosson about the history of illustration in space exploration. Lois goes through the artistry involved in mapping the Moon for Apollo missions, how artists shaped the way people imagined space, the dark history behind the rocket emoji, and other aspects of NASA’s history to consider while we forge ahead with the Artemis missions.

The Weavers: Memory and the Moon

Before the Apollo Guidance Computer could fly anyone to the moon, someone had to physically weave the code into its memory. This episode is about the women who did that work. It’s also about the Navajo women who assembled the computer’s integrated circuits. But really, it’s about how the Apollo program’s most celebrated achievement was held together by hands history never bothered to name.

Names matter, and the decision about what to name the most important scientific instrument in a generation was fraught. Listening to Matt Williams lay out James Webb’s actions during the Lavender Scare and the advocacy surrounding the telescope’s name is a window into an aspect of space-based research that rarely gets focus.

The Voyager Golden Record with Riley Swedelius-Smith and Miranda Zickler

The Voyager space probes are billions of miles away. They have left the solar system, and they each carry a golden record intended to describe humanity to aliens. This episode is a walk through of what’s on the records and why. And it’s done in a way that feels like you’re talking with friends.

Skylab is Falling

Most stories about space exploration focus on the beginning. On how the thing, or the people, got up there. This episode immerses you in what it was like at the end, how it felt to be there when the space station came down. The story’s shift in perspective makes you wonder about what the end of a mission means.

This episode tells the story of a man who could have been the first Black Astronaut. It’s about how he got to the lunar flight simulator and what came next, and why it had nothing to do with his ability to do the job.

On season 2 of Dead Pets, we have even more pet stories for you, like Uli, who broke the curse of the four cats who tragically died before her and healed the heart of her person, Janine. And Sunny, the yellow lab and best hiking buddy who helped Annette, an avid hiker and magazine editor, through the most difficult times of her life.

Listen to interviews with experts, like hospice and euthanasia vet Dr. Jack Murray, and stories about animals who have changed the course of human history, like Laika, the Russian street dog who became the patron saint of one-way trips.

This 2019 series tracks the connection between the sci-fi greats and the scientists who got us to the moon. An incredible piece about how art and science can create an inspirational feedback loop, and how are heroes are more complicated than we can ever realize.