Podcast Summary: This Week in Space 193: A History of Tomorrow

Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Rod Pyle (Editor-in-Chief, Ad Astra Magazine)
Co-host: Tarek Malik (Editor, Space.com)
Guest: Dr. Roger Launius (Former NASA Chief Historian)

Overview

In this special edition, Rod and Tarek welcome Dr. Roger Launius, renowned NASA historian and former Smithsonian curator, to discuss how space history is created, preserved, and communicated. The episode explores recent news from NASA, the evolving narrative of space exploration, public perception past and present, and the unique challenges of documenting history in the digital age. There's also a look at recent space events and a reflection on the upcoming anniversaries of major spaceflight accidents.

Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Recent Space News & Milestones

First Medical Evacuation from the ISS

• NASA completed its first medical evacuation from the International Space Station:
  • Crew returned safely on SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour.
  • The medical issue was undisclosed but not life-threatening.
  • All astronauts (Mike Fink, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platinov) were safe and underwent checks in San Diego.
  • Tarek: "So now we know what happens if someone has to come home quickly from the space station." (05:46)
• [03:23–05:55]

Artemis 2 Rocket Rollout

• NASA’s Artemis 2, the first crewed lunar mission in 50 years, is rolling out to the pad:
  • Window of February 6–10, 2026; Tight schedule, limited room for error.
  • Crew: Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Vic Glover, Jeremy Hansen.
  • NASA insists it is not rushing.
  • Tarek: "Hopefully this really... we're really finally going to get to the moon with this mission and these astronauts." (06:18)
• [06:16–08:34]

NASA’s MAVEN at Mars

• NASA is attempting to reestablish contact with its Mars orbiter MAVEN.
  • Lost contact in December due to a possible tumble during solar conjunction.
  • Recovery uncertain, but still early in the process.
  • Rod: "So shades of Viking 1 that's still just waiting on the surface of Mars, waiting for that last signal from Earth." (11:23)
• [08:43–11:37]

2. Meet Dr. Roger Launius: The Making of a Space Historian

Background & Career Path

• Launius describes his childhood passion for space in the 1960s, writing letters to NASA for mission patches, and a career shift into historical work after initially working with the Air Force.
• He recounts: "When I finished my PhD, I went looking for a job and found one. Working for the Air Force, not space but airplanes was cool too. And then I made a transition to NASA in 1990." (16:01)
• [15:25–17:20]

Role as NASA Chief Historian

• Three key duties:
  • Collecting documentation
  • Preserving it for the future
  • Disseminating knowledge (originally via books/articles, later embracing digital platforms)
• "When I got there in 1990... we started to see the digital age emerge and the placement of information online." (17:33)
• [17:33–19:19]

Move to Smithsonian

• Launius joined the National Air and Space Museum after 12 years at NASA.
• Noted the broad audience and unique opportunities at the Smithsonian.
• [19:28–20:20]

3. Is There a "Second Space Age"?

Changing Nature of Space Activity

• Rod comments on the term “second space age”; Launius is skeptical of the label:
  • "The space age came and it hasn't gone away... we've really seen... the rise of commercial actors in ways that they hadn't been present before." (20:54)
  • Cautions that lines between commercial and government actors are often blurred.
• [20:20–22:13]

4. Public Perception: Then and Now

Myth of Apollo "Golden Age"

• Rod asks whether the public was ever as uniformly supportive of Apollo as is often claimed.
• Launius: "There is this kind of rose colored glasses looking back on that past... but that's not true, it simply is not true." (26:36)
  • NASA faced budget attacks from both left and right.
  • Support spiked only during Apollo 8, 11, and shuttle tragedies.

Polling Nuances

• "If you ask the question, do you like what NASA spends on space versus ... another program, NASA almost always loses." (28:56)

Space Race: Then Versus Now

• Today’s environment isn't a true analogue to the Cold War era:
  • "We had a peer competitor ... and sometimes it was these surrogates like the space race. ... We don't have anything like that today." (30:11)
• [25:31–32:35]

5. Telling NASA’s Story: Challenges & Digital Revolution

Communication Mandate

• NASA has a formal mandate to share its story; by most measures, has done well.
  • Launius: "NASA’s actually done a reasonably good job at telling its story... It’s hard to keep people’s attention." (33:21)
• Big events get spikes in attention; day-to-day achievements are often overlooked.
• [32:35–34:53]

Digital Age & Space History

• Explosion of information allows enthusiasts to self-select topics.
• Fragmentation of media audiences creates both opportunity and challenge:
  • "Not everybody can do everything 24/7... there's a segmentation of those audiences." (36:39)
• Ready access to information replaces bar arguments and research struggles.
• However, misinformation can also spread more easily.

Moon Landing Denial & Public Memory

• Launius questions whether belief in conspiracy theories is really increasing, but notes the challenge of public skepticism in the social media era.

  • "The only polls I've seen date from, like, 2010. It's like 5, 6, 7% [deny it]... Yeah, that's troubling, but that's the margin for error in a lot of polls." (41:53)

• Young people more likely to question historic events they never saw; survey wording matters.

• [39:38–43:29]

6. Recording History & Spaceflight Accidents

On Recording Tragedy

• Discussion of the importance of learning from accidents (Challenger, Columbia, Apollo 1):
  • Launius: "No amount of safety awareness is sufficient to ensure rigor... it's the same everywhere." (45:39)
• These incidents drive technical and organizational vigilance in spaceflight.
• [44:27–47:32]

From Paper to Bits: Preserving Space History

• Archival work is complex due to quantity and shifting formats.
• Transition to digital records brings new challenges:
  • "An awful lot of things are done through email or text ... in which there’s not necessarily a permanent record except an electronic one." (48:43)
• Some attempts are made to preserve staff correspondence; much of the process is imperfect, but supplemented by retirees’ personal archives and oral histories.
• [47:32–51:41]

On Social Media as a Source

• Preservation question: What about tweets and viral moments?
  • Launius (lightly): "How many tweets really need to be captured?" (51:57)
  • Social media can be valuable for historians—especially astronaut posts.
• "Social media has been a boon... not just for publicity purposes, but in the context of the historical record." (52:16)
• [51:41–52:42]

7. The Future of Space History

Upcoming Work by Launius

• Dr. Launius is working on NASA History in 100 Objects, a book due from Smithsonian Books:
  • “It’s a fun book... trying to tell that NASA story, and not just NASA, but NACA before it as well, going back to 1915 and using 100 objects to talk about the broad-based associations of the agency.” (53:38)

Memorable Mentor Quote:

• "The technology, I refer to it as angry technology... it is so potentially deadly. And you just have to maintain your edge on this the whole time." – Dr. Roger Launius (45:39)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Launius on space history collecting:
  “When I got there in 1990... the digital age emerged and... dissemination took a form beyond the printed word.” [17:33]

• Launius on Apollo public support:
  “With the exception of the summer of 1969 when we landed there for the first time... It just simply is not true [that majority were always supportive].” [28:56]

• Launius on the new space race:
  “We don’t have anything like that today. There’s no competition between nation states over this in any real serious manner...” [30:11]

• Launius on preserving history in the digital age:
  “We've always had this problem...[now] everything’s... done through email or text... in which there’s not necessarily a permanent record except an electronic one.” [48:43]

• Launius on accidents and institutional learning:
  “All of the mishaps ... all play a part in the NASA process to try to understand the technology, what went wrong, how to ensure there’s no additional accidents.” [45:39]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:04] – News: ISS Medical Evacuation
• [06:16] – News: Artemis 2 Rollout
• [08:43] – News: MAVEN at Mars
• [15:25] – Launius: Career Journey
• [17:33] – Launius: NASA Chief Historian Role
• [20:20] – "Second Space Age?"
• [25:31] – Public Enthusiasm: Then and Now
• [32:35] – NASA’s Storytelling Mandate
• [36:39] – Digital Age Impact on Space History
• [39:38] – Misinformation & Moon Landing Denial
• [44:27] – Lessons & Documentation of Accidents
• [47:32] – Preserving Paper & Digital Records
• [52:16] – Social Media and Historical Records
• [53:38] – Launius' Book in Progress: NASA in 100 Objects

Closing

Dr. Roger Launius offers a thoughtful, sometimes wry look at the evolution of space history—how it's captured, debated, and told. The conversation balances nostalgia, realism, and optimism about the future of recording humanity's efforts in space, reminding listeners that space history is as much about how we remember as what we achieve.

Where to find the speakers:

• Roger Launius – Not active on social media, but occasionally appears on shows like this and is working on new books.
• Tarek Malik – Editor at Space.com; active on social media [@TarekjMalik]
• Rod Pyle – pilebooks.com, astermagazine.com

For more questions, jokes, or comments, find the hosts at [twist@twit.tv].

[End of Summary]