This Week in Space 187: An Inspired Enterprise

Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Rod Pyle (Editor in Chief, Ad Astra Magazine)
Co-host: Tarek Malik (Editor in Chief, Space.com)
Special Guest: Glenn Swanson (Author & Former NASA Chief Historian)
Theme: Exploring the real-world inspirations behind Star Trek—from NASA, the Smithsonian, and the aerospace community—through Glenn Swanson's new book "Inspired Enterprise."

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the surprising real-world connections between Star Trek and the big players in 1960s aerospace and science—especially NASA and the Smithsonian. Glenn Swanson, author, historian, and longtime space educator, joins Rod and Tarek to share research from his new book, Inspired Enterprise, charting how American space achievements and institutions inspired the creators of Star Trek, gave technical advice, and even shaped popular culture with everything from model kits to shuttle names.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Catching Up, Space News, and Banter

• Space 2025 Gratitude:

  • Tarek shares excitement over public fascination with Comet 3I Atlas—a rare interstellar comet (“Even Kim Kardashian mentioned it…” 04:56).
  • Rod highlights Blue Origin’s "New Glenn" rocket successfully landing and finally creating competition for SpaceX (05:03).

• Headlines:

  1. Comet 3I Atlas Confirmed a Comet:
     • NASA's recent press conference lays rumors to rest—it's not an alien ship, just a well-observed, interstellar comet (06:23-08:28).
     • Tarek: "You can download the images, see everything up close. Not a spaceship, definitely a comet" (08:14).
  2. SpaceX Starship Version 3 Issues:
     • Major testing setback as their new booster crumples mid-test (09:00-10:08).
     • Delays likely will push their Moon ambitions to 2028+ (10:22).
     • Blue Origin is scaling up, offering new options for lunar landing missions (11:10).
  3. Uranus at Opposition:
     • The planet is at its brightest—cue planetary puns (12:01-13:25).

Interview: Glenn Swanson and Inspired Enterprise

Glenn’s Background (17:24)

• Editor/founder of Quest magazine (only peer-reviewed spaceflight history journal, still running after 32 years).
• Former chief historian, NASA Johnson Space Center.
• Physics instructor and STEM/space educator.

Gene Roddenberry’s Inspirations (20:35)

• Roddenberry’s background: Air Force pilot, police officer, Pan Am pilot.
  • Gave him credibility in pitching and constructing a serious, science-based sci-fi show.
• Inspired Enterprise examines not just Star Trek’s influence on scientists, but how NASA, Smithsonian, and aerospace informed the making of Star Trek.
  • Glenn: “Not a lot has been written about what inspired Star Trek… what were the agencies and entities… that inspired Gene Roddenberry…” (21:00).

Lost in Space vs. Star Trek (23:51)

• Glenn credits Lost in Space for introducing him to sci-fi as a kid, but it lacked the seriousness and staying power of Star Trek ("But Star Trek was a different animal…” 25:55).

Real Space Inspiring Fiction: NASA & the Smithsonian (30:42)

• Early on, Star Trek cast visited NASA’s facilities—photos from 1967 of Roddenberry and cast at Dryden Flight Center left big impressions.
• NASA and engineers actively supported and consulted, offering technical advice and opening doors for authenticity.
  • “I can’t help but think that they were motivated and inspired by looking at real space hardware…” (32:17).
• Smithsonian’s role in preserving and interpreting Star Trek’s legacy—largest chapter in the book.

The Mature Look of Star Trek (35:00)

• Star Trek’s look (esp. the ship designs) was a leap ahead:
  • Rod: “This was kind of a standout series for adults…the first real attempt for a truly adult space show.”
  • Glenn: “…the ship itself was very adult...it looked like it actually has functionality to it…” (35:11).

Technical Advisors and Science Fact Meeting Science Fiction (36:57)

• RAND Corporation and top aerospace firms provided science cred—Roddenberry used real reports and jargon in his sales pitches and scripts.
  • “He even had a formula for the odds of finding habitable worlds… actually drawn out from a report that the Rand Corporation did called Habitable Planets for Man...” (37:59).
• Hollywood’s proximity to aerospace made collaboration natural; 70% of US aerospace in 1960s California.
  • ...NASA even had a West Coast office just to handle industry contracts in LA, and Roddenberry tapped into those resources (42:05).

Trek in Model Kits and Pop Culture (45:05)

• AMT Model Kits:

  • AMT took a risk on spaceship kits instead of cars—producing the first Enterprise and later the Klingon ships.
  • Their gamble paid off: over a million sold in the first year (47:22).
  • These models “helped carry on interest in Star Trek” and made the franchise tangible for millions of kids (50:01).

• Restoring/Updating the Series:

  • The remastered effects for the original series—both Glenn and Rod see value in making the show accessible for new generations, although both have nostalgia for the original effects (52:45).

Iconic Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Show’s Premise:
  • Glenn: “My book covers the period, basically 1966 to 1976… covering the creation of [Star Trek’s] Second Life as a syndicated phenomenon…” (21:00)
• On Pop Culture Feedback Loop:
  • Tarek: “I’ve actually since spoken to astronauts who said they were inspired to become an astronaut because they watched Star Trek as kids… It’s like this big circle…” (70:20).
• On the Surprising Role of AMT Models:
  • Glenn: “AMT’s faith in the show gave us the Klingon ship… because the series… didn’t have [money]… so AMT produced a model,” which in turn appeared on the show (50:21).
• On Research Surprises:
  • Glenn: “The Smithsonian connection was a really big surprise… there were politics involved…” (32:54).
• On the Feel of the Enterprise Miniature:
  • Rod: “It was like it just sucked the air out of the room to see this thing. No matter how close you got, the detail never fell apart…” (61:35).

Other Notable Segments & Timestamps

• [04:28] Tarek on the “Comet 3I Atlas” public frenzy
• [10:22] Tarek on SpaceX’s delayed lunar timeline
• [12:01] Uranus jokes and opposition explained
• [20:53] Glenn: Gene Roddenberry’s bio and its influence on Star Trek
• [30:42] Glenn: The NASA-Star Trek connection, cast tour at NASA Dryden
• [45:05] Glenn’s deep dive into the AMT model kits legacy
• [61:35] Rod on seeing the original Enterprise filming model
• [66:36] Glenn explains the work of a NASA chief historian
• [71:21] Glenn’s “circle of inspiration” anecdote: kids inspired by Trek, Trek inspired by NASA

Where to Find More

• Glenn Swanson:

  • glennswanson.space — Book details, articles, direct contact for signed copies.
  • Facebook: Glenn Swanson
  • Current/upcoming works: Inspired Enterprise (now), The Ultraview Effect (Spring 2026), Voyager Golden Record project (2027).

• Tarek Malik:

  • space.com
  • Social: Twitter, Blue Sky as @tarekjmalik
  • YouTube: spacetronplays

• Rod Pyle:

  • pilebooks.com
  • Ad Astra Magazine
  • National Space Society

Final Thoughts

Inspired Enterprise sheds light on the deep and surprising connections between NASA, American aerospace, and one of pop culture’s most enduring science fiction franchises. Through rare stories, behind-the-scenes photos, and thorough research, Glenn Swanson reveals how science fact helped inspire—and continues to inform—the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. This episode is a must-listen for Trek fans, space buffs, and anyone curious about the cross-pollination between real and imagined futures.

“There’s a lot of books about how Star Trek inspired people to go into science. But not a lot about how NASA, the Smithsonian, and the aerospace community inspired Star Trek.” — Glenn Swanson (21:00)