November 21, 2025

This Week in Space 187: An Inspired Enterprise

1 hour 8 minutes

Were you inspired by "Star Trek" (or one of its innumerable spinoffs) as a young person? We know we were, so it was a pleasure to invite Glen Swanson, author of the new Star Trek history book "Inspired Enterprise" onto the show. We've all heard lore about the original series, but Swanson, who was previously the Chief Historian at the Johnson Space Center, used his prodigious skills to perform a deep dive into the topic. From Gene Roddenberry's original inspiration to working with Caltech, the RAND Corporation, and NASA; and on to the design of the good ship Enterprise itself (and the very popular AMT models that followed), this book provides everything you need to know to be a certified Trekker.

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Main Topic: The Real Inspirations Behind Star Trek

Glen Swanson shares career highlights as a NASA historian and magazine founder

How Gene Roddenberry's background and influences shaped Star Trek

NASA's direct involvement and technical guidance for Star Trek's creators

The significant role of the aerospace industry, Rand Corporation, and real-world science in Star Trek's development

The story behind NASA and the Smithsonian Enterprise shooting model connections

AMT's plastic model kits fueled fan obsession and supported the show's visuals

Influences from movies like Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Forbidden Planet

Space Station K7 design's origins traced to NASA and Douglas Aircraft concepts

Star Trek's impact on inspiring real-life astronauts and the space community

Glen Swanson's book, "Inspired Enterprise," and how you can get a signed copy

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Glen Swanson

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