About this episode
What happens when private enterprise races ahead of government space programs? Space historian Robert Zimmerman explores the dramatic transformation occurring in America's quest to return to space. While NASA struggles with bureaucratic timidity and safety concerns that threaten to ground the shuttle program permanently, private companies are developing revolutionary spacecraft at breakneck speed. Zimmerman reveals how ventures like SpaceShipOne are pioneering commercial space travel, potentially making NASA's expensive programs obsolete by 2010. From the Crew Exploration Vehicle competition to the future of the International Space Station, this discussion exposes the internal battles, budget crises, and technological breakthroughs reshaping humanity's journey beyond Earth. The cosmic irony becomes clear: while NASA aims for the moon, private companies may wave goodbye as they pass them en route to the stars.