Failure To Launch

Latest Episodes:

Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 2 Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

CONTENT WARNING
Continuing our exploration into the history of Mittelwerk, the death factory that produced Wernher Von Braun's V2 missiles, we cover the successes of the A4 missile bringing unwanted attention, the use of concentration camp labour at the Peenemunde missile facility, and Operation Hydra, the British plan to bomb that facility flat.
SOURCES:
Jean Michel & Louis Nucera, Dora: The Nazi Concentration Camp Where Modern Space Technology Was Born and 30,000 Prisoners Died
Michael Neufeld, The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missile Era
Benny Grunfeld, A Teenager in Hitler's Death Camps
T D Dungan, V-2: A Combat History of the First Ballistic Missile
Annie Jacobsen, Operation Paperclip

*PREVIEW* Titan AE (w. Josh Boerman & AJ Ditty) Oct 03, 2025

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This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.

This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by Josh Boerman and AJ Ditty of the Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to talk about the famous 2000 flop of Titan AE - a showing so bad it killed Fox Animation Studios! We cover the movie itself, the time and atmosphere it was made in, and Roger Joseph Ebert's very horny (positive) review.

Mittelwerk, Hitler's Rocket Factory: Part 1 Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

HUGE CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS SERIES
To start our retelling of the story of the Mittelwerk death factory, we cover the early history of the Nazi military rocket program. The VfR amateur rocket club, Walter Dornberger, and the internal politics and squabbling that created the infamous Peenemunde rocket test site.

SOURCES:
Jean Michel & Louis Nucera, Dora: The Nazi Concentration Camp Where Modern Space Technology Was Born and 30,000 Prisoners Died
Michael Neufeld, The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missile Era
Benny Grunfeld, A Teenager in Hitler's Death Camps
T D Dungan, V-2: A Combat History of the First Ballistic Missile
Annie Jacobsen, Operation Paperclip

*PREVIEW* Capricorn One (1978) Aug 30, 2025

Show notes

This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.

Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (w. Joe Kassabian) Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

Since 1963, it has been illegal under international law to place nuclear weapons in orbit. But the Soviets were brave enough to ask: "What is orbit, really?". This week, we're talking to Joe Kassabian (@JoeKassabian), host of the Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast, about OGCh or FOBS, the Soviet superweapon attempt to beat America's missile shield. And a whole lot of OKB politics.

Follow Lions Led By Donkeys here!

Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and Discord access

Sources:

1. The Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, Asif Siddiqi

2. http://www.astronautix.com/o/ogch.html

3. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ogch.htm

Theme song by DJ Danarchy

The Cosmology of Alex Jones (w. Dan Friesen) Aug 07, 2025

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As part of our ongoing series on space conspiracy theories, we brought in expert help to tackle one of the most virulent conspiracy theorists of our day. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by Dan Friesen of the Knowledge Fight podcast to talk about all the dumb things Alex Jones believes about space. What has happened in space, what will happen in space, and whether Alex will get his own planet.

Follow Knowledge Fight here!

Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and Discord access!

Theme song by DJ Danarchy

*PREVIEW* Sunshine (2007) Jul 31, 2025

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This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, consider supporting Failure To Launch on Patreon.

NASA Before Vostok 1 Jul 25, 2025

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In early 1961, NASA was actually very well positioned to launch an American into space before the Soviets. Then they messed it up. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris take a look into what was happening at NASA in the months before Vostok 1 flew. We cover the infamous Four Inch Flight, the first chimp in space, and the debate over how safe a rocket should really be before strapping Alan Shepard into it.

Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content and Discord access!

Sources:

Beyond, Stephen Walker
Redstone: The Missile That Launched America Into Space, Drew LePage
Giving Mercury Its Wings, Drew LePage

Theme song by DJ Danarchy

*UNLOCKED* Stalker (1979) Jul 10, 2025

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This is an unlocked patreon bonus episode. If you want to hear more content like this, consider supporting FTL on Patreon.

For this bonus, we've got Chris, Other Chris, and returning guest Nicholas Slayton getting Tarkovsky-pilled again and talking about the 1979 classic Stalker.

Nasser's Missile Program and Operation Damocles (w. Devon) Jun 28, 2025

Show notes

In 1962, President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt (or the UAR) showed the world his newest toys: a set of tiny, dinky missiles that could carry 60 kilos of explosives apiece. Needless to say, the head of the Israeli Mossad flipped out and ordered a campaign of assassinations on the German scientists who'd built them. This week, we're talking to Devon from the Kill James Bond podcast about Operation Damocles: a story of dumb rockets and dumber spies.

Listen to Devon's work on: Kill James Bond, Well There's Your Problem, and 10K Posts!

Support FTL on Patreon and unlock bonus content!

Sources:

- Reflections on Egypt, the Middle East, and History, Khaled Fahmy

- Nasser and the Missile Age in the Middle East, Owen Sirrs

Theme song by DJ Danarchy