This program originally aired on October 11, 2018.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was initially created for competition during the Cold War, but since its birth six decades ago, NASA has proven to be one of the nation’s greatest contributors to technological advancement. It has paved the way for inventions including the modern cell phone, improved international diplomacy, and delivered sounds and images that continue to play a major role in scientific development and pop culture to this day.
In this hour of River to River, host Ben Kieffer walks through some of the most monumental moments in NASA history with renowned space historian, John Logsdon.Logsdon is a firsthand witness to the history of NASA going back to the early 1960s, watching close by for events ranging from the Apollo 11 launch in 1969, to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.
Logsdon is the founder of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University and the author and editor of numerous books on space history, including The Penguin Book of Outer Space Exploration: NASA and the Incredible Story of Human Spaceflight, which hit bookstore shelves in September.
Also this hour, an encore look at the importance of science literacy and STEM education with Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space.
