Jan 16th 2026
This Week in Space 193
A History of Tomorrow
A Conversation with Former NASA Chief Historian, Dr. Roger Launius
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
Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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