Planetary Radio • Jul 05, 2019
Space Policy Edition: Why Apollo Happened (with Roger Launius)
On This Episode
![20190705 roger launius](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/20190705_roger-launius.jpg)
Roger Launius
Principal for Launius Historical Services, former NASA Chief Historian
![Casey dreier tps mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_82_line/casey-dreier-tps-mars.jpg)
Casey Dreier
Chief of Space Policy for The Planetary Society
![Kaplan mat headshot 0114a print](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1200_crop_center-center_82_line/kaplan-mat_headshot_0114a_print.jpg)
Mat Kaplan
Senior Communications Adviser and former Host of Planetary Radio for The Planetary Society
Half a century has passed since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin imprinted humanity's first footsteps upon another world. Apollo 11 was the culmination of a decade's worth of fervent activity in which the United States marshaled resources and manpower at a pace not seen outside of warfare. Space historian Dr. Roger Launius joins the show to explain why Apollo happened the way it did, how a moonshot briefly became a solution to a national security problem, and why it is unlikely to happen again. Casey Dreier also provides a space policy update.
![Buzz Aldrin on the Moon](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x2519_crop_center-center_82_line/20181114_buzz-aldrin-moon.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1259_crop_center-center_82_line/20181114_buzz-aldrin-moon.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x806_crop_center-center_82_line/20181114_buzz-aldrin-moon.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x604_crop_center-center_82_line/20181114_buzz-aldrin-moon.jpg 576w)