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Failure To Launch

Failure To Launch Podcast
NASA
Space Exploration
Soviet Union
Cold War
Mittelwerk
Jack Parsons
Nazi Germany
Apollo 1
Apollo Program
Soviet Space Program
Yuri Gagarin
Conspiracy Theories
Aerojet
V-2 Rockets
Solaris
Stalker
Soviet Cinema
Gus Grissom
Ed White
Roger Chaffee

This is a podcast about all the mistakes, failures, and explosions that made space exploration possible.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes112Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureAviation

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Artwork for Failure To Launch

Latest Episodes

In April 2026, while the crew of Artemis 2 was still travelling around the Moon, the Trump administration put forward a budget proposal to gut NASA. This week, we’re joined by space policy analyst and host of the Talking Space podcast, Gene Mikulka, ... more

Alternate title: Railing Rockets. We're joined by Gareth Dennis, host of the RailNatter podcast, to talk about the intersections of rockets and trains. Gareth came prepared with a wonderful story of horses' arses and the NASA Railroad. Quinn, meanwhi... more

YouTube

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.

YouTube

The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a motorcycle. We're back for part 2 of our series on Viktor Ilyin and the story leading up to the attempted assassination of Leonid Brezhnev in 1969.

Find our merch store here!

S... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Gene Mikulka
Space exploration advocate and host of the Talking Space podcast
Talking Space
Episode: NASA Cuts w. Gene Mikulka
Gareth Dennis
Railway engineer, author, host of RailNatter
RailNatter
Episode: NASA Railroad & Soyuz City (w. Gareth Dennis)
Jay Eaton
Artist with experience in evolutionary biology; author of Runaway to the Stars
Runaway to the Stars (webcomic)
Episode: Alien Planet & Spec Bio (w. Jay Eaton)
Alexander The OK
Space and aerospace YouTuber
YouTube
Episode: Chelomey's LKS Shuttle (w. Alexander The OK)
Milo Edwards
Comedian and podcaster
Trash Future, Glue Factory, Masters of Our Domain
Episode: Yuri Gagarin, The Soviet Andrew Tate (w. Milo Edwards)
Joe Kassabian
Historian and host of the Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast
Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast
Episode: Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (w. Joe Kassabian)
Dan Friesen
Host of the Knowledge Fight podcast
Knowledge Fight
Episode: The Cosmology of Alex Jones (w. Dan Friesen)
Robin Sheher
An instrumentation and controls engineer specializing in ground and launch ops instrumentation.
NASA
Episode: Soyuz T-10A
Nicholas Slayton
Journalist, podcaster, and connoisseur of incredibly good movies
Episode: *PREVIEW* Moon Zero Two (1969)

Hosts

Quinn Heahm
Host of Failure To Launch
Chris Heahm
Co-host of Failure To Launch

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 237 ratings
  • Great content and great banter

    Love this podcast! They dive into subjects that mainstream space history glosses over and talk about some amazing topics!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Twisted_Lazarus
    United States9 months ago
  • Really interesting podcast! Treats the topics with a lot of obvious passion and care, and goes to great lengths at times to debunk falsehoods that are just considered accepted fact to many people. Good stuff

    Podcast Addict
    5
    wonkledonkle
    10 months ago
  • Excellent grain geometry

    Great show. Super nerdy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NikolaiGranakov
    United Statesa year ago
  • Excellent mix of great scholarship and humor. One of my favorite podcasts and I love to recommend it to people remotely interested in space shit.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    fourthmarker
    a year ago
  • Here from LLbD. Enjoyed every episode so for. Great podcast.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Neph1976
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Impeccable nerdy content with sharp banter.
Great production quality and space-history depth.
Comfortable, approachable style that makes niche topics accessible.
Balances humor with solid archival context, useful for guests and sponsors.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

*PREVIEW* FTL | Q&A #1
Q: What piece of media, books, movies, music, games of any sort or other podcasts did you consume recently?
Hosts mentioned watching 'Foundation,' discussing its new take on classic sci-fi.
The Cosmology of Alex Jones (w. Dan Friesen)
Q: What does Alex Jones believe humanity's future in space entails?
He seems to envision interplanetary colonization as part of God's plan, but mixed with a bizarre spiritual warfare against demons.
The Cosmology of Alex Jones (w. Dan Friesen)
Q: How does Alex Jones' belief system relate to classic conspiracy theories?
He generally didn't support classic space conspiracy theories, taking a contrarian stance instead, often providing his own spin on them.
Soyuz T-10A
Q: What is a weirdly annoying thing to measure or deal with in your work?
Changing the down conductors was annoying, especially when the cables were installed incorrectly.
Soyuz T-10A
Q: What did you expect to be the most difficult part of your job and what did it actually turn out to be?
I thought the most difficult part of my job would be launch operations during countdown, but it turned out to be organized chaos and a lot of sitting in chairs.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Failure To Launch

What is Failure To Launch about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show offers a space-history leaning mashup of technical detail, colorful anecdotes, and sharp commentary on how accidents, miscalculations, and logistics shaped space exploration. Recent episodes mix deep dives into real-world engineering challenges (like rocket supply chains, launch-site infrastructure, and historical decision-making) with lively reads on culture, politics, and the personalities behind monumental programs. The hosts balance nerdy rigor with accessible storytelling and humor, often welcoming guests who bring specialized expertise to unpack complex topics. A standout quality is the willingness to tackle overlooked or controversial angles—from the human costs of large-scale projects to the myths and misconceptions that su... more

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1. Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast
2. Blood Work
3. Well There‘s Your Problem
4. The Worst of All Possible Worlds
5. No Gods No Mayors

How many episodes of Failure To Launch are there?

Failure To Launch launched 4 years ago and published 112 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Failure To Launch?

Recent guests on Failure To Launch include:

1. Gene Mikulka
2. Gareth Dennis
3. Jay Eaton
4. Alexander The OK
5. Milo Edwards
6. Joe Kassabian
7. Dan Friesen
8. Robin Sheher

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