Getting to space is all about rockets, but people are trying to figure out other methods that could carry payloads to orbit and beyond. Railguns, airplanes, tethers and more. Today we’ll talk about alternative methods of spaceflight.

481: Rockets pt. 3 – Going Faster, Higher, Farther after Fairing Separation Astronomy Cast 481: Rockets pt. 3 – Going Faster, Higher, Farther after Fairing Separation by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

We’ve seen rockets blast off from here on Earth. But that’s only half the story. Rockets have additional stages to push them into trajectories, like transfer orbits and various orbital manouvers. Let’s talk about what happens after the rocket is long gone, beyond our sight.

This was a special Q&A episode Pamela recorded while Fraser was in Iceland.

480: Rockets pt. 2- Multi-stage Boosters Astronomy Cast 480: Rockets pt. 2- Multi-stage Boosters by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

The vast majority of rockets are multi-staged affairs. Why is this? What makes this kind of rocket so successful? Today we look at the ins and outs of multi-stage rockets.

479: Rockets pt. 1- What Does "Single Stage To Orbit" Really Mean? Astronomy Cast 479: Rockets pt. 1- What Does "Single Stage To Orbit" Really Mean? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

To celebrate the launch of the Falcon Heavy, we figured it was time for an all new series, this time on the rockets that carry us to space. Today we're going to talk about why single stage to orbit rockets are so difficult to carry out.

478: Apollo 8 with Paul Hildebrandt Astronomy Cast 478: Apollo 8 with Paul Hildebrandt by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

On Christmas Day, 1968 Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders became the first human being to see the far side of the Moon. Their mission, of course, was Apollo 8, the first time human beings had ever left Earth orbit and seen the far side of the Moon. Today we talk all about Apollo 8, with special guest Paul Hildebrandt, director of a new documentary about the mission.