This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch

Turns out there were a lot of Soviet space teen movies. And some of them are even good.

Last time, we talked about the biggest rocket ever designed. This time, we're rejoined by guest Scott to talk about the lunatic who designed it, Bob Truax. Also making appearances in this story: Johnny Carson, Evel Knievel, Robert Goddard, and a tortilla baron.

Sources:

- Great Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition, Ed Regis

We've also got a patreon! If you want to support FTL and unlock bonus episodes, follow the link below!
https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch

The 60s was a time for scientists and engineers to ask the tough questions. Questions like: what if a rocket was so big it was a railroad? This episode, we're joined by friend of the show and rocket engineer Scott to talk about Sea Dragon, the largest rocket ever designed.

*This was our longest recording ever and ran into a couple of technical problems so please excuse some muddiness here and there that we couldn't edit around.

We've also got a patreon! If you want to support the show and unlock bonus episodes, follow the link below!
https://www.patreon.com/failuretolaunch

This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest, join our patreon at any tier: https://www.patreon.com/posts/96333556?pr=true If you ever wanted to see a dude drill a venusian rabbit-lizard with a WW1-era handgun, we've got you covered.

Couldn't have happened to a worse guy (still didn't deserve to be airbrushed). Today Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris start off 2024 by talking about Grigory Nelyubov, the cosmonaut who fell from grace and got written out of history for being an arrogant prick.

We've also got a patreon! If you want to support the show and unlock a new bonus episode, follow the link below!

Sources:

- The First Soviet Cosmonaut Team, Colin Burgess

- The Cosmonauts Who Weren't There, James Oberg

A few days before Christmas in 1960, a pair of Soviet space dogs (Comet and Joke) were launched toward orbit to pave the way for Yuri Gagarin.

To every listener of FTL, thank you, have good holidays however you celebrate it, and you can expect a lot more fun (horrible) stories and guests in 2024.

In the early 60s, the Soviets convinced the world their space program worked flawlessly by only announcing successes and covering up all failures. This policy extended to the people who worked for them.

In this short series, we'll be looking at all the cosmonauts who were written out of history, starting with the first cosmonaut to ever die in the line of duty: Valentin Bondarenko.

Sources

- The First Soviet Cosmonaut Team, Colin Burgess

- The Cosmonauts Who Weren't There, James Oberg

In late 1944, the Polish Home Army undertook one of the coolest resistance missions in WW2: stealing an entire V2 rocket and smuggling it to the UK. This episode, we're joined by @RedeyeReviewer to talk about a story that really deserves to be an action flick.

Check out Redeye's channel!

Sources:

The Polish Underground, 1939-1947

Animals in Space

From space engineer to arms dealer to the pawn of a dictator. This episode, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris talk to documentary maker BobbyBroccoli about the story of Gerald Bull, the most infamous figure in Canadian space history.

When most people think "space chimp" they probably think of Ham, the friendly cuddly primate that paved the way for American astronauts. They don't think of the mean one. In today's episode, we're joined by podcast host Francis Horton (@ArmyStrang) to talk about Enos, the coolest space chimp.

Sources:

- Packing For Mars, Mary Roach

- Animals In Space, Chris Dubbs & Colin Burgess

- https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/enos-forgotten-chimp