Jun 5th 2026
This Week in Space 213
Live From ISDC With Gerry Griffin
NASA Flight Director Breaks Down the Realities of Spaceflight
Recorded live from the International Space Development Conference in McLean, Virginia, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Apollo legend and former Johnson Space Center director Gerry Griffin. Griffin takes us on a journey through his extraordinary career, from his appointment as a flight director in the wake of the Apollo 1 fire, through the audacious decision to send Apollo 8 around the moon, all the way to the nail-biting rescue of Apollo 13. We also venture behind the scenes of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 film, where Griffin reveals the real story behind some of Hollywood's most famous dramatic liberties. It's a rare, firsthand account of the golden age of human spaceflight — from one of the few people who was there for all of it.
Headlines:
- Space Station Faces Recurring Air Leak Crisis
Main Topic: Jerry Griffin’s Legacy in Space Exploration
- Transition from Fighter Pilot to Mission Control
- Gemini and Apollo Era Engineering Breakthroughs
- The Apollo 1 Fire: Lessons and Safety Changes
- Fast-Tracking from Apollo 7 to Apollo 8 Lunar Orbit
- Insights From the Apollo 11 Moon Landing
- Apollo 13 Crisis Management Onscreen and in Reality
- The Evolution and Importance of Mission Control Teams
- Reflections on NASA’s Culture and Training Through Decades
- Preparing Future Generations for Artemis and Beyond
(Note: Apologies for the video flickering that occurs in the podcast.)
Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
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