LA Made: The Other Moonshot
LAist Studios
Show overview
LA Made: The Other Moonshot has been publishing since 2022, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 68 episodes, alongside 6 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 30 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence, with the show now in its 3rd season.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 24 min and 31 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 4 days ago, with 27 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2026, with 27 episodes published. Published by LAist Studios.
From the publisher
“LA Made” is a series exploring stories of bold Californian innovators and how they forever changed the lives of millions all over the world. Each season will unpack the untold and surprising stories behind some of the most exciting innovations that continue to influence our lives today. Season 3, "LA Made: The Other Moonshot," tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America’s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s. When Joanne Higgins was growing up in Compton in Los Angeles, she heard her godfather, Charlie Cheathem, tell stories about his key role in the Apollo mission to the moon. As an adult, she realized that his experiences — and those of other Black engineers — had been left out of the history books. She set out to record for the first time the accounts of these men, now in their 90s, whose crucial contributions to the early days of the Apollo mission have been overlooked — or taken credit for by others — despite their ingenuity and determination. Season 2, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes,” tells the backstory of the world’s most popular doll, Barbie. Barbie is a cultural icon but what do you really know about her? Hear Barbie's origin story from the people who created her. Co-hosted by Antonia Cereijido and M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, hear the wild stories from never-before-heard tapes of interviews with Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, her wardrobe designer and the sculptors and fabricators, and the innovative marketers who made her what she is today. This 3-part series premieres July 6, 2023. Season 1, “LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets,” tells the hidden story of the fearless, groundbreaking and ambitious crew who shaped our quest to outer space and ushered in the early days of space exploration at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at CalTech. Known as the “Suicide Squad,” the team’s road to triumph was fraught with controversies involving the occult, a suspected spy ring, unplanned explosions, and a suspicious death. Join writer and life-long aerospace fanatic M.G. Lord as she uncovers their story and reveals the shocking origins of rocket science in this 12 episode season. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This podcast was made possible with support from the Committee for Greater LA in partnership with the Weingart Foundation.
Latest Episodes
View all 68 episodesImperfect Paradise: On the ground for LA's historic ICE protests (Redux)
Imperfect Paradise: War, politics, and sports collide as Iran competes in LA for the World Cup
Imperfect Paradise: From immigrant roots to celebrities, how LA became a soccer city
Imperfect Paradise: The World Cup is more than just soccer. How it’s a flash point for politics, the economy and ICE for host cities like LA
Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 5 – Your last chance to cram before the June 2 primary
Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 4 — What you need to know about the key Orange County races
Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 3 — The primary races for LA mayor and LA County sheriff heat up
Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 2 — Voting for judges is one of your toughest ballot tasks. What to consider when making your choices
Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan — What you need to know about the June primary elections
Imperfect Paradise: Inside a Southern California church, where Muslims, Jews, and Christians all pray
Imperfect Paradise: 'Astronomical' LA28 Olympics ticket prices have shocked fans. But could a more expensive games benefit taxpayers?
Imperfect Paradise: Big Bear Valley’s ‘royal couple’ Jackie and Shadow & their emotional journey to parenthood
Imperfect Paradise: Rotten food, disease, isolation – what we know about conditions at the Adelanto ICE detention center
EAt least four people have died in custody at an ICE detention facility in Adelanto, California. A recent lawsuit alleges that living conditions there are inhumane, and some are comparing the facility to "concentration camps." LAist reporter Julia Barajas has been reporting on Adelanto and takes us there – she tells us about detainee experiences and how California lawmakers are trying to enforce accountability. Read Julia’s full report at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: Looming strike, budget deficit, and superintendent under federal investigation. What it could all mean for LAUSD's 400,000 students and staff
Los Angeles Unified School District could face an open-ended strike if multiple labor deals are not made by April 14. The potential strike comes at a time when the district faces significant challenges, including a budget deficit and a superintendent under FBI investigation. LAist K-12 Education Senior Reporter Mariana Dale breaks down how we got here and the consequences for the district's 400,000 students, their families, teachers, and staff. Read Mariana’s full report at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: Whistleblower alleges manager asleep on job during Eaton Fire response. Complaint raises questions about accountability and preparedness
A whistleblower at the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) filed a complaint alleging a colleague with a history of sleeping on the job was in charge of emergency workers sending evacuation alerts during critical moments of the Eaton Fire. LAist Climate and Environment Senior Reporter Erin Stone breaks down the complaint, what happened at OEM when the January 2025 fires broke out, and the serious concerns raised about OEM’s preparedness for the next big disaster. Read Erin’s full report at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: Women speak a quarter of words in the 2026 Oscars Best Picture nominated films. What that tells us about the movies Hollywood values
The Academy has historically favored men when it comes to giving out its Oscars statuettes. Women are once again not only underrepresented among this year’s Best Picture nominees, but also fared worse than last year. Emily Tarinelli analyzed how much female characters speak across the 10 nominated films, including top contenders like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet. On Imperfect Paradise, Emily talks about her findings, why what female characters are saying on-screen matters, and what gender disparity in dialogue can tell us about the kinds of movies that are institutionally valued. Read Emily’s full report at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: Route 66 has a 100-year legacy of American road trips and expansion, but the Main Street of America had its problems too
As Route 66 celebrates its centennial anniversary, we look back at its enduring impact as an iconic road that stretched from Illinois to California — and some of its darker past. It wasn’t just a mode of transportation for family road trips. The historic route was also a primary path for Black Americans to escape the South during the Jim Crow era, all while navigating around sundown towns. L.A. Explained Reporter Cato Hernandez joins Imperfect Paradise to discuss the significance of Route 66, its influence on California and its effect on Black migration to the West. Read more of Cato’s reporting at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: California is not tracking whether its multi-billion dollar public preschool program is working. So how do we know if it’s helping or hurting students?
California has spent billions of dollars on a free universal preschool program available to all eligible 4-year-olds in the state. However, there are no official plans in place from the state to evaluate the success of the program, also known as transitional kindergarten, or TK. LAist Early Childhood Senior Reporter Elly Yu joins Imperfect Paradise to discuss why experts say research is needed, who is accountable for TK’s success, and what California can learn from other states with similar programs. Read more of Elly’s reporting on California's TK program at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: Money, politics and power: Casey Wasserman remains head of LA28 Olympics despite connections to Jeffrey Epstein. What does this mean for Olympics planning?
LA 2028 Olympics head Casey Wasserman is facing growing pressure to resign from his post after recently released Epstein files revealed emails Wasserman exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell. The board behind LA28 — the private planning committee in charge of organizing the 2028 Games — has voted to keep Wasserman at the group’s helm, despite many city officials calling for his resignation, including L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. LAist reporter Libby Rainey has been tracking the Olympics and joins Imperfect Paradise to discuss what power the mayor has to remove Wasserman, the relationship between the city and LA28 and what it means if Wasserman does step down. Disclosure: Los Angeles civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who LAist interviewed for this story, is a Life Trustee of LAist. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise: Inside an Orange County immigration court. What it reveals about the Trump Administration’s changing policies
As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, we explore what’s happening on the legal side of immigration enforcement. A group of court observers at Santa Ana Immigration Court is trying to help immigrants and asylum-seekers who appear there get a fair shot under the law. LAist Orange County Correspondent Jill Replogle tells us about her experience following the court observers and how what’s happening in these courtrooms determines the fate of undocumented immigrants across the U.S. We also discuss how immigrants, lawyers, and even judges are trying to keep up with the administration’s rapidly evolving immigration policies. Read more of Jill's reporting at LAist.com. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.