Anatomy of a Firecracker

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16 Sunsets

Antica & Telltale Studios

16 episodes

4 months ago

"16 Sunsets" is a captivating 10-part podcast series that explores the dramatic history of NASA's Space Shuttle program, crafted by the award-winning team behind "13 Minutes to the Moon." Hosted by renowned space storyteller Kevin Fong and featuring music by Christian Lundberg from Hans Zimmer's Bleeding Fingers Composers' Collective, the series recounts the birth of the Shuttle era through the eyes of those who built and flew it. From the Shuttle's audacious first flight in 1981 with Commander John Young and rookie Bob Crippen to the intricate technical challenges it faced, the podcast delves into the political, engineering, and cultural forces that shaped its inception. With over 40 interviews from NASA veterans and personal insights from Fong—who witnessed the Shuttle era firsthand—"16 Sunsets" captures the spirit of innovation and the human stories behind the missions, revealing the profound impact of the Space Shuttle on our understanding of human spaceflight.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History

Technology,

Science

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Anatomy of a Firecracker

16 Sunsets

1 hour 1 minute 50 seconds

9 months ago

Anatomy of a Firecracker

Getting the 100 tonne space shuttle orbiter from the pad to orbit demanded a launch system like no other before it. A huge external fuel tank containing hundreds of tonnes of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fed the orbiter’s three powerful main engines. But that wasn’t enough to lift the fully fuelled shuttle off the launch pad. Two towering booster rockets, bolted to the fuel tank, were needed for most of the necessary thrust. Compared to the Apollo Saturn vehicles, this was a novel and complex configuration of rocketry. Designing and building the shuttle launch system required multiple engineering frontiers to be advanced, and some challenging and controversial decisions to be made.

Ever wondered how the Space Shuttle came to be? Welcome to a new podcast series, 16 Sunsets. In this episode, Host Kevin Fong explores the awesome and explosive anatomy of the space shuttle launch system - and its vulnerabilities - with former NASA engineers who built its component parts. The podcast takes you through the violent journey from final countdown to orbit in the company of shuttle engineers and some of the astronauts who rode on their handiwork.

Featuring: Mark Mullane, Lowell Zoller, Craig Sumner, Mark Craig, Jeffrey Hoffman, Gerald Smith, Warren Wiley, Matthew Hersch, Jennifer Lavasseur, Robert Stewart, Robert Crippen, Ivy Hooks, Barney Roberts and David Mindell.

Credits:

Written and presented by Dr Kevin Fong

Producers: Andrew Luck-Baker and Rami Tzabar with additional production by Dave Giles.

Assistant Producer: Kate Arkless Gray

Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Courtice

Music: Christian Lundberg, part of Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Composer Collective

With special thanks to Sandra Johnson and Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre Oral History Project

Executive Producers: Stuart Coxe, Kevin Fong, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar

16 Sunsets is an Antica and TellTale Production 2024.

Check out our website at https://sixteensunsets.com

Instagram: @sixteen_sunsets

X: @16sunsets

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.