Space Policy Edition: Was the Space Shuttle a policy failure?

Space Policy Edition: Was the Space Shuttle a...

Up next

How Perseverance drove itself into the record books

NASA’s Perseverance rover has driven farther than any other vehicle on another world. On Oct. 11, 2026, its odometer reached 45.22 kilometers (28.10 miles), passing the record Opportunity spent about 15 years setting. Perseverance did it in about five and a half years. To celebra ...  Show more

Meet the Winners of The Planetary Society’s 2026 STEP Grants

Every two years, The Planetary Society funds research through our STEP Grants (Science and Technology Empowered by the Public). This year, all three winning projects focus on small bodies in our Solar System, like asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects. Each one tackles a differen ...  Show more

Recommended Episodes

Challenger Disaster | Bigger, Faster, Cheaper | 1
American Scandal

In January 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle was poised to make history, carrying seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher and civilian selected for space travel. The launch was part of a decade-long effort by NASA to make flights cheaper and more frequen ...  Show more

Episode 45: μ: Was the Challenger an engineering failure?
Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast

The Space Shuttle Challengers Explosion rocked America to its core. Was this issue actually caused by engineering or was it a management mistake. Delve into the story of the Rogers Commission and their findings on Morton Thiokols Solid Rocket Boosters and O-Ring.

Articl ...

  Show more

Challenger Disaster | Acceptable Risk | 2
American Scandal

As NASA struggles to keep its ambitious launch schedule on track, engineers at contractor Morton Thiokol raise concerns about a key component of the space shuttle’s rocket boosters: O-Rings, which are designed to prevent fuel leaks. Amid this tension, the Teacher in Space program ...  Show more