Lyndon Johnson takes over the presidency following John F. Kennedy’s assassination, while rocketeer Sergei Korolev watches his fate rise and fall in the Soviet Union. In the 10th chapter of “Moonrise,” both countries hit setbacks in the race to the moon.

The Beyond

“Truer, but also darker.” This is the real origin story behind America’s decision to go to the moon. The story we learn starts with Sputnik, then President Kennedy’s challenge, and ends with triumph: an American flag on the lunar surface. But in the 50 years that have passed since the moon landing, as presidential documents have been declassified and secret programs have been revealed, a wilder story has begun to emerge. “Moonrise,” a new Washington Post narrative mini-series, digs into the nuclear arms race of the Cold War, the transformation of American society and politics, and even the birth of science fiction, to unearth what really drove us to the moon. Join host Lillian Cunningham (of the Presidential and Constitutional podcasts) as she uncovers a story that has so much to reveal about America -- and about the dreams and nightmares of being human on this Earth.

Share The Beyond

Sign up to save your podcasts

The Beyond

The Beyond

More shows like Moonrise

Radiolab

Fresh Air

The New Yorker Radio Hour

Hidden Brain

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

99% Invisible

The Rachel Maddow Show

On the Media

Presidential

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Science Friday

Capehart

Sidebar

Constitutional

Radio Atlantic

Capital Weather Gang

Post Reports

Throughline

Canary: The Washington Post Investigates

Please, Go On with James Hohmann

Broken Doors

The 7

Field Trip

The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop

Try This

Reasonably Optimistic

The Campaign Moment

The Sports Moment

A Whole Other Country