Space is so back. And it’s not just because everyone’s favorite billionaires are getting in the ring. There are real scientific, technological, and military implications of our presence in space and it got us wondering–what is the history of the organization that first got us there–NASA? And what do we have to learn from an institution that undertook one of the most ambitious scientific and technological feats of all time…and then bogged itself down in so much bureaucracy that it promptly lost not only its budget from Congress, but also its luster as a symbol of progress and pride in our government? 

It’s time for a trio of space n00bs to go beyond “Houston, we have a problem” and get deep on the story of NASA. And space nerds, please go easy on us. We are very new to this.

(1:52) NASA Today

(4:38) Manifest Destiny & Exploration (1910 - 1958)

(10:15) Space Race, Competition, and the Founding of NASA (1958- 1980s)

(15:25) Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Getting a man on the friggin moon (1960-2000)

(38:39) NASA’s Identity Crisis (early 2000s)

(48:36) The Money Sucking Black Hole (2000s-2010s)

(1:04:37) Commercialization of Space (today)

(1:12:03) Operator Playbook: what tactics will we borrow from NASA?

(1:16:28) The future of NASA?