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Failure To Launch

NASA Cuts w. Gene Mikulka

5/8/20261 hr 34 min

In April 2026, while the crew of Artemis 2 was still travelling around the Moon, the Trump administration put forward a budget proposal to gut NASA. This week, we’re joined by space policy analyst and host of the Talking Space podcast, Gene Mikulka, to go over the threats to space science and the grassroots resistance to the cuts. 

Check out the Talking Space podcast here and follow Gene on Bluesky!Astronauts for America interview

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FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy

Clips

Rushing Could Repeat Apollo 1
Extinction-Level Cuts for NASA Science
Budget Attacks Here To Stay
Metric vs. Imperial Mars Disaster
Congress Overwhelmingly Saves NASA

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Gene Mikulka· Guest0:00

    [upbeat music] We had a pretty large bank associated with the, uh, caution and warning there.

  2. Chris· Host0:07

    Okay, we have an apparent serious oxygen leak. Four, three, two, one. Uh, Houston, we've had a problem. [upbeat music] He's in a roll and he can't stop it. Performing an evasive maneuver. Okay, guys, we've had a problem here. [upbeat music] I think we need to do a little more air weather testing.

  3. Busy Chris· Host0:40

    [upbeat music] Welcome to space. Space. Space. Space. Space. Space. Space. Space.

  4. Quinn· Host0:47

    Hello, listener, and welcome to Failure to Launch, the space history podcast where we take you through all the mistakes, failures, and explosions that made modern space exploration possible. We are your hosts, Quinn, he, him.

  5. Chris· Host1:06

    Chris, he, him.

  6. Gene Mikulka· Guest1:07

    Gene Mac Culka, he, him.

  7. Busy Chris· Host1:09

    And a busy Chris, he, him.

  8. Quinn· Host1:11

    And today, we're leaving history behind and talking about something current: the most recent attempt to gut NASA. And because recent space news is not always our wheelhouse, we have brought on someone much more immersed in it. Gene Mac Culka is a long time space exploration advocate and a host

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