Failure To Launch

On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on ascent during its 10th mission, killing seven space travellers. In this series, we’ll explore the historical context of the disaster, the life stories of its crew, how it happened, and the ways it changed how we explore space. 
In this first episode, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris cover the origins of the Space Shuttle Program, the nearly Soviet levels of politicking and corner-cutting that went into its development, and how the institutional problems that caused the Challenger Disaster were there from the beginning. 
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SOURCES:
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, Adam Higginbotham

The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, Diane Vaughan

The Challenger Decision, T.A. Heppenheimer

Chief Designers: Max Faget (False Steps)

FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

In the wake of Operation:REVIVAL, House Kurita embarked on a crash WarShip development program to try and match the naval superiority of the Clans. Today, we are joined by Dr. Randolph P. Checkers, one of the Periphery’s finest historians, to discuss one product of this program, the ill-fated Tatsumaki Class destroyer. 
If you want a primer on Battletech, check out Tex’s video on Twycross or his guide to the Inner Sphere!
FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

What do you have to worry about? Skin's mostly airtight.
We collaborated with Somehow You Didn't Die On Your Way To Work to talk about that period in the 60s when the Soviets got so obsessed with cramming as many people into their spacecraft as possible, they ditched spacesuits as a concept. And then the consequences of that choice in 1971 with Soyuz-11.
Find our merch store here
Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community
FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

The ISS is the greatest product of international space cooperation ever achieved. It is also a product of happening at exactly the right time to actually be possible. Today, we’re talking to space policy expert Nik Proxima about the history of the ISS. We cover its conception as a post-Cold War recycling program, why it continued to operate even as member nations became adversaries, and how space cooperation today is very different from 20 years ago. 
Check out Nik’s work here: Space Scout and Proxima: A Human Exploration of Mars
FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, support Failure To Launch on Patreon at any tier.
A formative game from our childhoods, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, has a very controversial moment that some have argued could negatively influence young minds. We are of course talking about the mission where you destroy the ISS with a hijacked nuclear missile. And to better explore the topic of space law and nuclear EMPs, we brought on space policy wonk Nik Proxima to talk about it!
Check out Nik’s work here: Space Scout and Proxima: A Human Exploration of Mars
FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy