Failure To Launch

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.

Cosmonaut Boris Volynov almost died twice in one week in January 1969. The first was when his Soyuz-5 capsule nearly burned up on reentry. The second was when a Soviet Army defector ambushed the motorcade carrying him, seven other cosmonauts, and Premier Leonid Brezhnev with akimbo Makarovs. This is Part 1 of our series into the weird story of an attempted assassination of the leader of the Soviet Union. Find our new merch store here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community!SOURCES:- Into the Cosmos, Asif Siddiqi and James Andrews- The First Cosmonaut Team, Colin Burgess and Rex Hall- Soyuz-4 and 5 crews perform docking, spacewalk between ships, Anatoly ZakFTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

ЩΉΛƬ DӨ YӨЦ ƧΣΣ?On audience request, this time we're reviewing 2007's Sunshine. It's got a great cast, a legendary soundtrack, good reviews, financial failure, and it made Cillian Murphy an atheist.

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.

No, a trio of astronauts on NASA's Skylab station did not stage a mutiny over poor working conditions. Yes, they would've been justified if they had staged a real mutiny. Today, we're tackling Skylab-4 and the legend of the First Strike in Space. Find our new merch store here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community!SOURCES: - Skylab: The Human Side of a Scientific Mission- https://nss.org/space-myths-busted-no-there-wasnt-a-mutiny-on-skylab/ - https://nss.org/i-finally-read-a-house-in-space-and-it-is-a-big-ol-mess/

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.

In the late 70s, OKB-52 head Vladimir Chelomey decided to try and compete with the new Buran space shuttle project. He did it in secret, with stolen funds, and against express orders from the Kremlin. Today, we're talking with space history youtuber Alexander The OK about how it all somehow went wrong. Watch Alex's content here!Support FTL on Patreon to unlock bonus content and join our Discord community!SOURCES:- Ahead of his Time, Ivan Evteev- The Proton Launcher, Christian Lardier and Stefan Berensky- Energiya-Buran, Bart Hendrickz- Raketoplan, RussianSpaceWeb- LKS, RussianSpaceWeb- Vladimir Chelomei, False StepsFTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

Like most stuntmen, Michael Hughes had a very confusing life and an overwhelming need to become famous at any cost. In this episode, we cover how that need drove him into conspiracy mania and got him killed flying a glorified pressure cooker. Sources:- DIY Rockets, Daredevils, and the Tragedy of Mad Mike Hughes [WIRED] - "Mad Mike" Hughes Rejected Science and Chased Fame. It Killed Him. [Popular Mechanics] - https://madmikehughes.com/- Rocketman [2019]

Delve into the chilling history of Mittelwerk, the slave factory behind Hitler's V-2 rockets. Joe Kassabian shares insights on the horrific conditions and the grim death toll. As Allied forces capture the site, the scramble to secure Nazi technology unfolds. Hear about Operation Paperclip and the ethical dilemmas surrounding former Nazis like Wernher von Braun. The discussions also touch on postwar trials, the shifting standards of justice, and the disturbing legacy of these wartime atrocities in the context of space exploration.

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.