Moonrise

by The Washington Post

“Truer, but also darker.” This is the real origin story behind America’s decision to go to the moon. The story we learn starts with Sputnik, then President Kennedy’s challenge, and ends with triumph: an American flag on the lunar surface. But in the 50 years that have passed since the moon landing, as presidential documents have been declassified and secret programs have been revealed, a wilder story has begun to emerge. “Moonrise,” a new Washington Post narrative mini-series, digs into the nuclear arms race of the Cold War, the transformation of American society and politics, and even the birth of science fiction, to unearth what really drove us to the moon. Join host Lillian Cunningham (of the Presidential and Constitutional podcasts) as she uncovers a story that has so much to reveal about America -- and about the dreams and nightmares of being human on this Earth.

Episodes

The Bomb and the Saucer

38m · Published 20 Aug 11:46

Nuclear fears haunt the American psyche. Fascination with aliens is on the rise. And the U.S. government begins secret rocket experiments. In the fifth installment of "Moonrise," the best and worst of science fiction's predictions start to spring to life.

Inside the Gulag

38m · Published 13 Aug 13:00

A Russian rocket dreamer is sent to a Siberian prison. And the road to redemption stretches more than 5,000 miles. On this episode of "Moonrise," a look at the maestro behind the Soviet space effort.

The Shapeshifter

41m · Published 06 Aug 13:00

A German rocket scientist with a secret mission and dark past. A science fiction editor under the watch of the FBI. In the third chapter of Moonrise, weapons of war lay the groundwork for space travel.

Visionaries of the Void

36m · Published 30 Jul 13:00

A tiny New York office fills with big ideas. A group of sci-fi writers bring space travel into popular culture. American rocketry begins to take flight. On this episode of Moonrise, the dream of the moon starts to become reality.

The Tale of the Blue Light

20m · Published 19 Jul 13:12

A man who meets himself on the moon. A blue orb that bursts into flames. The quest to explain the unexplained. In the first chapter of "Moonrise," the journey to space begins.

Introducing Moonrise

4m · Published 18 Jul 21:01

You’ve heard about how we landed on the moon, now find out why we went there. Host Lillian Cunningham introduces a new Washington Post podcast that will explore the real story behind the moonshot — a wild tale of nuclear brinkmanship, backroom politics and sci-fi influence ... Coming summer 2019.

We’ll be doing an exclusive preview of “Moonrise” at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium on Thursday, July 18, during Adler After Dark. Come listen to the first episode under the dome with us in a unique listening experience set against the stars. Then stick around for a conversation with Lillian Cunningham and an exciting panel of space experts. Click here to get tickets and find more information.

Moonrise has 16 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 9:43:17. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on December 22nd 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 8th, 2024 06:41.