Failure To Launch

Latest Episodes:

Comet & Joke: The Soviet Christmas Miracle Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

A few days before Christmas in 1960, a pair of Soviet space dogs (Comet and Joke) were launched toward orbit to pave the way for Yuri Gagarin.

To every listener of FTL, thank you, have good holidays however you celebrate it, and you can expect a lot more fun (horrible) stories and guests in 2024.

Forgotten Cosmonauts: Valentin Bondarenko Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

In the early 60s, the Soviets convinced the world their space program worked flawlessly by only announcing successes and covering up all failures. This policy extended to the people who worked for them.

In this short series, we'll be looking at all the cosmonauts who were written out of history, starting with the first cosmonaut to ever die in the line of duty: Valentin Bondarenko.

Sources

- The First Soviet Cosmonaut Team, Colin Burgess

- The Cosmonauts Who Weren't There, James Oberg

Operation Third Bridge (W. RedEye Reviews) Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

In late 1944, the Polish Home Army undertook one of the coolest resistance missions in WW2: stealing an entire V2 rocket and smuggling it to the UK. This episode, we're joined by @RedeyeReviewer to talk about a story that really deserves to be an action flick.

Check out Redeye's channel!

Sources:

The Polish Underground, 1939-1947

Animals in Space

The Engineer Who Built Saddam a Supergun (w. BobbyBroccoli) Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

From space engineer to arms dealer to the pawn of a dictator. This episode, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris talk to documentary maker BobbyBroccoli about the story of Gerald Bull, the most infamous figure in Canadian space history.

Enos: The Meanest Chimponaut (w. Francis Horton) Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

When most people think "space chimp" they probably think of Ham, the friendly cuddly primate that paved the way for American astronauts. They don't think of the mean one. In today's episode, we're joined by podcast host Francis Horton (@ArmyStrang) to talk about Enos, the coolest space chimp.

Sources:

- Packing For Mars, Mary Roach

- Animals In Space, Chris Dubbs & Colin Burgess

- https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/enos-forgotten-chimp

Packing For Mars: Interview w. Mary Roach Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

On today's episode, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by award-winning author Mary Roach to talk about her book Packing For Mars as well as the more secretive side of astronaut culture.

Check out Mary's writing here.

Part 2: OTRAG w. Nate Bethea Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Today, we're back talking to podcast host and producer Nate Bethea about OTRAG, the world's first private launch company, the weird dictators they worked with, and a lot more crocodiles than you'd expect.

Sources:

Projet Wotan, Joelle Stolz

Part 1: OTRAG w. Nate Bethea Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Today, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by Nate Bethea to talk about OTRAG, the first private rocket company. In Part 1, we cover the origins of Lutz Kayser and all the Nazis and dictators he worked with.

Sources:

Great Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition, Ed Regis
Projet Wotan, Joelle Stolz

Who Was Yuri Gagarin? w. Dr Andrew Jenks Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

The Soviet everyman. The first Soviet sex symbol. The boyish Russian nationalist. The first man in space played a lot of roles. In this episode, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris talk to space historian Andrew Jenks to try to get to the bottom of just who Yuri Gagarin was.

The answer: "Complicated."

FTL Short: Russia's Uranus Battalion Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

In a bid to find more soldiers to send to Ukraine, Russia has found an interesting new recruitment pool: rocket scientists. In this experimental short, Quinn talks briefly about Roscosmos' new Uran Battalion and the 60 year old men being offered the chance to die in the trenches.

Not really sure what these shorts will turn into, if they continue. Bonus content, emergency filler episodes. But if you have opinions, let us know.

Sources:

https://www.ft.com/content/c194cb2d-3aa0-4195-9be5-e78c1d2fd183

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