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

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

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2026 promises to be the most exciting year in the new space age yet! Shining bright is the prospect of an Artemis II launch to send astronauts around the moon for the first time since 1972, as early as February. We've already seen news about a medical incident on the International Space Station that will force a crew to return to Earth early, but NASA says this won't affect the Artemis launch. On other news, NASA's budget seems on track to be passed at near 2025 levels, China is preparing to send a robot to the south lunar pole, SpaceX plans robust tests of Starship this year—and hopefully refinement of their lander for Artemis III, Boeing will fly Starliner again (uncrewed), Mars Sample Return is poised to be scuttled, and all this under the leadership of a new—and apparently quite capable—NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman. Join us for an in-depth look at what's coming in 2026!

Headlines:

• Medical evacuation planned for ISS astronauts due to health concerns
• NASA Chief Jared Isaacman leads first big press conference amid ISS medical incident
• Artemis 2 lunar mission remains on track for February launch
• Orion spacecraft heat shield faces scrutiny ahead of crewed flight
• NASA budget nearly secured—Congress backs full funding for 2026
• Mars Sample Return project faces likely cancellation
• SpaceX Starship gears up for crucial orbital and refueling tests
• Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar lander launch delayed, competition heats up
• China's lunar, asteroid, and orbital missions ramp up for 2026
• Boeing Starliner and Sierra Space Dream Chaser schedule ISS cargo missions
• New moon landers, asteroid missions, and global crewed capsule tests coming in 2026
• NASA's Roman Space Telescope possibly launching this year

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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

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One of our favorite interviews of 2025 was with Dr. Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society and the mind behind Mars Direct, a streamlined approach to reaching the Red Planet with human beings that was later largely adopted by NASA in their mission designs. It's a fascinating story about a man who continually swam upstream against strong currents of the aerospace establishment. His seminal book, "The Case for Mars," has enjoyed multiple reprints and influenced millions. Join us for this encore of an informative and forward-looking episode!

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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

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Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit