The Space Above Us

Gene Cernan, Ron Evans, and Harrison Schmitt kick off the final lunar landing mission of the Apollo Program with a spectacular night launch. But how did they end up with these last three coveted seats?

It's time to go find some volcanic rock and confirm the hypothesis of the formation of the Descartes region. I hope you like orange juice.

John Young, Charlie Duke, and Ken Mattingly are headed to the moon for the second J-mission. Geologists have them on the hunt for volcanic rock, hoping to test their hypothesis on how the lunar highlands were formed.

This week we head to the Hadley-Apennine region to explore the surface with Dave Scott and Jim Irwin. Five EVAs, driving around in the lunar rover, and obstinate drills await us!

Dave Scott and Jim Irwin are headed for Hadley-Apennine, while Al Worden is getting all sorts of science done in lunar orbit. Just what does a Command Module Pilot do, anyway? Find out!

It's been a long way, but we're here.. for the second part of our coverage of Apollo 14! Get your lunar hiking boots on, we're headed for Cone Crater!

Alan Shepard is back in the saddle and headed to the moon with Ed Mitchell and Stu Roosa on Apollo 14. Also I make fun of Ed Mitchell a bunch.

Apollo 13 is in trouble. But with a lot of clever thinking and a bit of luck, we might just be able to get the crew home.

It's time to go for the hat trick and attempt NASA's third landing on the moon. After doing this twice already, everything should be smooth sailing. Right?

This week we'll talk about Mission Control, the room full of experts that helps keep each NASA human spaceflight mission running smoothly. Where did it come from? What is its role in the mission? And just what are all those guys actually doing anyway?

Pete Conrad and Alan Bean head to the surface. There are plenty of science experiments to set up, robots to vandalize, and selfies to.. not take.

Join us as we follow the crew of Apollo 12 into lunar orbit as they prepare to land in the Ocean of Storms. Get your signal conditioning equipment ready because it's going to be a shocking launch!

Listen to some of the actual audio from the Apollo 11 mission. Included is the air to ground audio and flight director loop from the powered descent and landing, as well as about 10 minutes surrounding Armstrong's first step on the surface.

Last time, we successfully landed in the Sea of Tranquility with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. But what did they actually do there? And how did they decide who gets out first?

Columbia and Eagle make the final leg of the journey. It's time to head to the surface.

Don your helmet and gloves, clip into the restraint system, and load up Program 63. It's time to learn how to land on the moon in far more detail than you wanted!

We is down among 'em on this second journey to the moon. Follow the crew as they fly within spitting distance of the lunar surface.

A Gumdrop and a Spider fly into low earth orbit.. no, this isn't the start of a bad joke, it's the start of Apollo 9!

The stage has been set and the time has come. The crew of Apollo 8 are go for TLI. Let's go to the moon!

Apollo 8 was humanity's first time leaving its home planet, and it was just too big to fit into one episode. Join us this week as we learn about the mission's origins, who will be flying it, and how tricky it is to plan a launch window.

Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham get NASA back on track and fly the first crewed mission of the Apollo Program.

We take a somber look at Apollo 1, the first planned flight of the Apollo Program. We honor the crew and try to learn from their sacrifice.

This week we learn about the ungainly beast, and engineering marvel, that is the Apollo Lunar Module.

We've talked about the muscle and brains of Apollo, but this week we talk about the heart of every mission: the Apollo Command and Service Modules.

This week, we discuss the computers and software of the Apollo Program, with a special focus on the memory system of the Apollo Guidance Computer.

This week, we take a look at the boosters and engines that lofted Apollo into orbit.

There's more to getting to the moon than big rockets and zippy spacecraft. This week, we talk about some of the facilities and infrastructure used by NASA in its quest to land humans on the moon.

Where did the Apollo Program come from? How were its broad strokes decided? And why are we going to the Moon in the first place?

We close the curtain on Project Gemini, revisiting the program and its goals. We also take a quick look back at Project Mercury and a look forward to the Apollo Program to put Gemini in the larger context.

Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin close out Project Gemini and tackle the fundamentals of EVA.

Pete Conrad flies Gemini XI to new heights as Dick Gordon works on his space cowboy techniques.

John Young and Mike Collins make it a double on Gemini X!

A special Christmas moment from the crew of Apollo 8.

The Mayor of Pad 19 has an appointment with an angry alligator.

Neil Armstrong and David Scott perform the first ever docking in space and then take the Gemini capsule for a spin.

Frank Borman and Jim Lovell are in space. They've been there for a while and they've got a ways to go. Let's follow them on their incredible 14 day journey into unexplored territory of human spaceflight endurance.

Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford have to try a few times to get off the ground while the crew of Gemini VII is already waiting for them in orbit. Find out why VI-A comes after VII!

Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad may come to regret their slogan of "8 Days or Bust" for the groundbreaking flight of Gemini V.

Project Gemini continues with the flight of Jim McDivitt and Ed White aboard Gemini IV. Learn about spacewalks, orbital rendezvous, and how to open a stuck door in space!

Gus Grissom and John Young kick off Project Gemini and catch a bite to eat along the way.

Project Gemini was America's second major manned spaceflight program and will take this podcast clear into 2017. Come learn the basics about Project Gemini before we launch into detailed looks at each mission.

We follow the X-15 on one more parabolic arc through space and learn more about the pilots who flew it and some of the amazing results of the program.

High above the United States desert, the X-15 becomes America's second manned spacecraft and Joe Walker becomes the 7th American to fly in space.

We revisit Project Mercury while trying to put it into a larger context and examine President Kennedy's decision to send us to the Moon.

Gordon Cooper becomes the first astronaut to spend a full day in space and brings a successful conclusion to Project Mercury.

Wally Schirra and Sigma 7 show us how it's done and pave the way for the one day mission.

Science moves to the forefront and Scott Carpenter moves several hundred miles past the landing zone on Aurora 7.

John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth and has a close call with a potential heat shield problem.

The complete air to ground transmissions of Mercury-Redstone 4: the flight of Liberty Bell 7.

Gus Grissom flies the second and final suborbital flight of Project Mercury.