<p>In the grip of a crippling drought in the 1960s, Alice Springs sees an economic lifeline when America promises to build a 'space base' on the edge of town. But once Pine Gap's bizarre, oversized golf ball-like structures are finally built, mysterious things start happening - the 'space base' isn't quite what it seems.</p>

In the grip of a crippling drought in the 1960s, Alice Springs sees an economic lifeline when America promises to build a 'space base' on the edge of town. But once Pine Gap's bizarre, oversized golf ball-like structures are finally built, mysterious things start happening - the 'space base' isn't quite what it seems.

<p>In the grip of a crippling drought in the 1960s, Alice Springs sees an economic lifeline when America promises to build a 'space base' on the edge of town.&nbsp;But once Pine Gap's bizarre, oversized golf ball-like structures are finally built, mysterious things start happening - the 'space base' isn't quite what it seems.</p>

01 Spies in the Outback | Selling a space base

In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert in remote northern Australia. He was an Alaskan firefighter, seemingly with everything to live for. So why did he risk it all to go into the wilderness alone? And how do you search for someone who doesn't want to be found?

In 2022, host Erin Parke became obsessed with the saga of Robert Bogucki, which became a media circus and prompted everyone involved to think about life, death and who we are when everything easy is stripped away. It's a story that spans three decades, two continents and a bizarre cast of characters. From booty-wearing bloodhounds, to a larger-than-life, cigar-chomping American named Gunslinger, the search for the missing man became a spectacle in itself.

In season 5, Expanse: Nowhere Man, Erin sets out to discover why some people are pushed to lose themselves in the wilderness on a search for meaning. At a time when so many of us feel lost, just how far would you go to feel found?

New episodes released each Wednesday.

Expanse is an internationally award-winning podcast that explores big stories from across Australia — a vast continent where anything can happen.

In Series 4: Uncropped, host Danielle O'Neal goes from a mosquito-laden lagoon in far north Queensland to the Australian government's classified UFO files, to the US Congress as she seeks to understand what happened, its legacy and why believable people say seemingly unbelievable things.

Spies in the Outback (Series 3) won the Excellence in Radio Broadcasting award at the Northern Territory Media Awards in 2024 for the story of Pine Gap, a secret US/Australian defence base hidden in the outback.

From the Dead (Series 2) won silver in the Documentary: History category at the New York Radio Festival awards. It delves into a wild tale of survival at sea off Tasmania's rugged southwest coast.

Pink Diamond Heist (Series 1) was shortlisted in the New York Radio Awards, Documentary: History category. This season takes you on a rollicking ride through Western Australia on the trail of a diamond heist.

Society & Culture

Documentary

History

In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert in remote northern Australia. He was an Alaskan firefighter, seemingly with everything to live for. So why did he risk it all to go into the wilderness alone? And how do you search for someone who doesn't want to be found? In 2022, host Erin Parke became obsessed with the saga of Robert Bogucki, which became a media circus and prompted everyone involved to think about life, death and who we are when everything easy is stripped away. It's a story that spans three decades, two continents and a bizarre cast of characters. From booty-wearing bloodhounds, to a larger-than-life, cigar-chomping American named Gunslinger, the search for the missing man became a spectacle in itself. In season 5, Expanse: Nowhere Man, Erin sets out to discover why some people are pushed to lose themselves in the wilderness on a search for meaning. At a time when so many of us feel lost, just how far would you go to feel found? New episodes released each Wednesday. Expanse is an internationally award-winning podcast that explores big stories from across Australia — a vast continent where anything can happen. In Series 4: Uncropped, host Danielle O'Neal goes from a mosquito-laden lagoon in far north Queensland to the Australian government's classified UFO files, to the US Congress as she seeks to understand what happened, its legacy and why believable people say seemingly unbelievable things. Spies in the Outback (Series 3) won the Excellence in Radio Broadcasting award at the Northern Territory Media Awards in 2024 for the story of Pine Gap, a secret US/Australian defence base hidden in the outback. From the Dead (Series 2) won silver in the Documentary: History category at the New York Radio Festival awards. It delves into a wild tale of survival at sea off Tasmania's rugged southwest coast. Pink Diamond Heist (Series 1) was shortlisted in the New York Radio Awards, Documentary: History category. This season takes you on a rollicking ride through Western Australia on the trail of a diamond heist.

Share 01 Spies in the Outback | Selling a space base

Sign up to save your podcasts

01 Spies in the Outback | Selling a space base

01 Spies in the Outback | Selling a space base

More shows like Expanse

Background Briefing

Conversations

All In The Mind

Chat 10 Looks 3

Trace

If You're Listening

Unravel

ABC Rewind

No Feeling Is Final

Still Jill

Finding Drago | Finding Desperado

True Crime Conversations

Inside the Big Day Out

Days Like These

Stuff The British Stole

Dig

The Mushroom Cook

Secrets We Keep

The Case Of

The Weather That Changed Us

Dear Rachelle

No One Saw It Coming

The Mushroom Trial: Say Grace

Fallout: Spies on Norfolk Island