Rephonic
Artwork for Failure To Launch

Failure To Launch

Failure To Launch Podcast
NASA
Space Exploration
Soviet Union
Cold War
Mittelwerk
Jack Parsons
Nazi Germany
Soviet Space Program
Apollo 1
Apollo 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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes127Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
AviationLeisure

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Failure To Launch

Latest Episodes

Capsule: check. Monkey: check. Downers: check.

To celebrate our 5th anniversary as a show, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are going back to the well to talk about our first ever topic: Project Albert. Or “that time the US Government launched a half ... more

In the summer of 1966, work at China’s top-secret space program ground to a halt as every worker spent every day putting up posters, making denunciations, and murdering each other. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are joined by November Kelly... more

YouTube

The first space food was made by veterinarians instead of dieticians and was so bad that many astronauts chose to fast through their missions. And it could've been *so* much worse. This week, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris are talking to Dr Kaveh Hoda... more

YouTube

This is a preview of a bonus episode. To hear the rest of the episode and unlock more bonus content, support Failure To Launch on Patreon at any tier.

Count the moons, duster! Today, Quinn (Belter), Chris (Martian), and Other Chris (Earther) are tal... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Blood Work
Blood Workbloodwork
Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast
Lions Led By Donkeys PodcastLions Led By Donkeys
Well There‘s Your Problem
Well There‘s Your ProblemWTYP is Justin Roczniak, November Kelly, Liam McAnderson, and friends.
No Gods No Mayors
No Gods No MayorsThe Office of the Mayor
The Worst of All Possible Worlds
The Worst of All Possible WorldsJosh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford

Recent Guests

November Kelly
Host on Trash Future and other podcasts
Episode: Project 714 'Shuguang' (w. November Kelly)
Kaveh Hoda
Medical doctor, gastroenterologist and host of House of Pod
House of Pod
Episode: The Horrors of Early Space Food (w. Dr Kaveh Hoda)
Scooter Heathegg
Guest with substantial experience working with nuclear systems and historical analytics
Independent researcher / expert
Episode: Nuclear Rockets (w. Scooter)
Matt Lowne
YouTuber covering space, current news, engineering, space history, and Kerbal Space Program
Episode: Soyuz-23: Ice Fishing for Cosmonauts (w. Matt Lowne)
Randolph P. Checkers
Military historian and mercenary from Van Zandt, expert on battle mechs and Inner Sphere history
None stated in transcript
Episode: *PREVIEW* Tatsumaki Class (w. Tex Talks Battletech)
Victoria Scott
Guest, Car and Tran Girlismo Podcast Fame; Space Artifact Fame
Car and Tran Girlismo Podcast, Space Artifact
Episode: Moon Tank 2: Lunokhod 2 (w. Victoria Scott)
Ani Mejlumyan
Journalist and podcaster on The Lions Led By Donkeys, Armenian media specialist
The Lions Led By Donkeys
Episode: *PREVIEW* The Lesson (1987)
Alan Jamieson
Marine biologist, engineer, author, and podcaster (Deep Sea podcast host)
University of Western Australia / Deep Sea
Episode: Deep Sea & Space (w. Dr Alan Jamieson)
Joe Kassabian
Author, historian, host of Lions Led By Donkeys podcast
Lions Led By Donkeys
Episode: The Coup of OKB-1 (w. Joe Kassabian)

Hosts

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

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 251 ratings
  • Context Review Signed

    I’m here to confirm I received the context report and got my signature notarized. It’ll be hand delivered from the Mr.B gulag in the coming months…or never.

    Real review: Great show, super smart and funny.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cindy Reviews Things
    United States4 months ago
  • 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 Statesa year 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
    a year ago
  • Excellent grain geometry

    Great show. Super nerdy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NikolaiGranakov
    United States2 years 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
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests provide credible, specialized perspectives.
Episodes frequently surface under-covered space-history topics, appealing to nerdy audiences.
Listeners appreciate the mix of rigorous history and humor.
Production quality and storytelling are consistently strong.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#15
United States/Leisure/Aviation
Apple Podcasts
#238
United States/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#13
Canada/Leisure/Aviation
Apple Podcasts
#102
United Kingdom/Leisure/Aviation
Apple Podcasts
#83
Germany/Leisure/Aviation
Apple Podcasts
#93
Australia/Leisure/Aviation

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Project 714 'Shuguang' (w. November Kelly)
Q: What did we learn here today?
We learned how a highly ambitious, symbolically charged space project can be derailed by political upheaval, leadership purges, and operational shortages, resulting in enduring lessons for later programs and a clearer understanding of China's path to crewed spaceflight.
Nuclear Rockets (w. Scooter)
Q: What was the core promise of NERVA in terms of space missions?
NERVA promised a nuclear thermal rocket with much higher specific impulse than chemical rockets, enabling faster travel and larger payloads for interplanetary missions, potentially making crewed missions to Mars and deep-space exploration feasible.
Deep Sea & Space (w. Dr Alan Jamieson)
Q: How does crew comfort influence mission success in extreme environments?
Comfort evolves from a 'nice-to-have' to a performance factor; longer, more logistically demanding dives require better seating, temperature management, and reduced fatigue, which in turn improves data quality and reduces risk of human error.
Deep Sea & Space (w. Dr Alan Jamieson)
Q: What are the main design trade-offs between deep-sea submersibles and crewed spacecraft?
Both emphasize safety margins, modular components, and the ability to diagnose and recover from issues on-site; however, deep-sea systems prioritize resistance to high hydrostatic pressure and cold, whereas space systems prioritize vacuum conditions and microgravity, with both stressing the value of human intuition alongside engineering precision.
*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.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Failure To Launch

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

Listeners are treated to a braided history of space exploration, focusing on technical feats, political intrigue, and high-stakes failures that shaped what's possible today. Episodes frequently cover pioneering hardware (rovers, rockets, satellites), darkly humorous takes on era-specific mishaps, and the broader geopolitical context driving space programs. Guests with hands-on engineering, archival, or artifact expertise help translate complex engineering into accessible storytelling, often linking past missions to present-day space policy and culture. A notable strength is the show's ability to blend rigorous technical detail with playful banter, making niche topics engaging for both hardcore space history buffs and curious newcomers. A re... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Failure To Launch?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Failure To Launch. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Failure To Launch and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Failure To Launch get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Failure To Launch, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Failure To Launch?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Failure To Launch, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Failure To Launch have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Failure To Launch has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Failure To Launch?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Failure To Launch:

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

How many episodes of Failure To Launch are there?

Failure To Launch launched 5 years ago and published 127 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Failure To Launch?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Failure To Launch?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Failure To Launch from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Failure To Launch?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Failure To Launch. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Failure To Launch?

Recent guests on Failure To Launch include:

1. November Kelly
2. Kaveh Hoda
3. Scooter Heathegg
4. Matt Lowne
5. Randolph P. Checkers
6. Victoria Scott
7. Ani Mejlumyan
8. Alan Jamieson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days