How It Happened

The Next Astronauts Part I: A Few Ordinary People


Listen Later

Axios space reporter Miriam Kramer traces how a multi-day orbital mission to space without professional astronauts came together in just a matter of weeks.

  • Kramer takes listeners back to February of 2021, to a press call where SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made a stunning announcement.
  • She brings listeners into her conversations with billionaire benefactor and mission commander Jared Isaacman to learn how he commissioned and designed the mission.
  • She chronicles how the other three crew members were selected — one by raffle, one by contest, and one as an ambassador for her employer — and how they felt watching the last crewed launch before their own.

  • Credits: The Next Astronauts is reported and produced by Miriam Kramer, Amy Pedulla, Naomi Shavin, and Alice Wilder. Dan Bobkoff is Executive Producer. Mixing, sound design, and music supervision by Alex Sugiura. Theme music and original score by Michael Hanf. Fact-checking and research by Jacob Knutson. Alison Snyder is a managing editor at Axios and Sara Kehaulani Goo is Executive Editor. Special thanks to Axios co-founders Mike Allen, Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    How It HappenedBy Axios

    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7

    4.7

    4,363 ratings


    More shows like How It Happened

    View all
    The Lawfare Podcast by The Lawfare Institute

    The Lawfare Podcast

    6,267 Listeners

    The Axe Files with David Axelrod by The Institute of Politics & CNN

    The Axe Files with David Axelrod

    7,608 Listeners

    Playbook Deep Dive by POLITICO

    Playbook Deep Dive

    1,532 Listeners

    Inside the Hive by Vanity Fair

    Inside the Hive

    1,545 Listeners

    The DSR Network by The DSR Network

    The DSR Network

    1,719 Listeners

    Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

    Radio Atlantic

    2,252 Listeners

    Stay Tuned with Preet by CAFE

    Stay Tuned with Preet

    32,470 Listeners

    The Bulwark Podcast by The Bulwark

    The Bulwark Podcast

    11,312 Listeners

    Talking Feds by Harry Litman

    Talking Feds

    4,543 Listeners

    The Al Franken Podcast by ASF Productions

    The Al Franken Podcast

    8,676 Listeners

    Hacks On Tap by Hacks On Tap

    Hacks On Tap

    8,012 Listeners

    1 big thing by Axios

    1 big thing

    2,024 Listeners

    Impolitic with John Heilemann by Audacy | Puck

    Impolitic with John Heilemann

    4,651 Listeners

    The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

    The Ezra Klein Show

    15,195 Listeners

    The Focus Group Podcast by The Bulwark

    The Focus Group Podcast

    2,454 Listeners

    On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

    On with Kara Swisher

    3,149 Listeners