January 16, 2026

This Week in Space 193: A History of Tomorrow

57 minutes

NASA's history is a long and fascinating story, and we decided we'd invite former NASA Chief Historian Dr. Roger Launius onto the show to tell us about how NASA tracks its history, the public's perceptions of spaceflight, and how our understanding of the past might inform our future in space. Also the Crew 11 return, Artemis II rollout, and MAVEN, phone home! Join us for this engaging conversation!

Headlines:

NASA Completes First-Ever Medical Evacuation From the ISS

Artemis 2 Megarocket Rolls Out to the Launch Pad Amid Tight Schedule

NASA Attempts to Revive MAVEN Spacecraft Around Mars

Main Topic: Chronicling the Space Age — With Dr. Roger Launius

How NASA's First Chief Historian Got Hooked on Space

The Role and Daily Work of a NASA Chief Historian

Transitioning From NASA to Smithsonian: Culture, Audience, and Mission

Is This a "Second Space Age"? Commercial Players and Evolving Space Policy

Public Attitudes Toward Space: Then and Now—Separating Myth From Reality

Historical Parallels Between Apollo and Artemis and the Notion of a New Space Race

Challenges of Public Engagement and NASA's Struggle to Stay In the Spotlight

Media Fragmentation, Social Media, and Changing Consumption of Space News

The Rise of Moon Landing Conspiracies Amid Information Abundance

The Vital Importance of Documenting Accidents and Hard Lessons in Space History

Preserving Space History in the Digital Era—From Paper to Tweets

Dr. Roger Launius' Upcoming Book: NASA History in 100 Objects

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Roger Launius

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