This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiS 187: An Inspired Enterprise - A History of Star Trek with Glen Swanson


Listen Later

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.


Headlines:

  • Comet 3I Atlas confirmed as a comet, not a spacecraft & NASA releases new images and details of the comet
  • SpaceX's Starship Version 3 booster suffers damage during test
  • Uranus reaches yearly opposition—best viewing opportunity
  • Main Topic: The Real Inspirations Behind Star Trek

    • Glenn 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
    • Glenn Swanson's book, "Inspired Enterprise," and how you can get a signed copy
    • Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

      Guest: Glen Swanson

      Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

      Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

      Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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

      This Week in Space (Audio)By TWiT

      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6

      4.6

      153 ratings


      More shows like This Week in Space (Audio)

      View all
      The 365 Days of Astronomy by 365DaysOfAstronomy.org

      The 365 Days of Astronomy

      352 Listeners

      Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

      Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

      1,353 Listeners

      SpaceTime with Stuart Gary by Stuart Gary

      SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

      322 Listeners

      Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

      Ask a Spaceman!

      826 Listeners

      Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

      Astronomy Cast

      2,875 Listeners

      Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

      Universe Today Podcast

      564 Listeners

      Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries by Professor Fred Watson and Andrew Dunkley

      Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

      230 Listeners

      Main Engine Cut Off by Anthony Colangelo

      Main Engine Cut Off

      285 Listeners

      Houston We Have a Podcast by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

      Houston We Have a Podcast

      1,235 Listeners

      Off-Nominal by Jake Robins, Anthony Colangelo

      Off-Nominal

      84 Listeners

      The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

      The Supermassive Podcast

      318 Listeners

      NASA's Curious Universe by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

      NASA's Curious Universe

      866 Listeners

      Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

      Why This Universe?

      391 Listeners

      The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu by theliuniverse

      The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu

      70 Listeners

      The Astrophysics Podcast by Paul Duffell

      The Astrophysics Podcast

      53 Listeners