Episode Details

We’re going back to the moon! A Pittsburgh-based aerospace company is sending off a lunar lander right before Christmas. But it’s not our first rodeo in this space — the Steel City has a long legacy in cosmic exploration. Producer Sophia Lo shares Pgh’s role in the Apollo missions, how the upcoming Peregrine launch came together, and what it means to have a budding “space district” on the North Side.

Plus, our team has a little launch announcement of our own. We’ve kicked off a new membership program, and you can find all the details (and perks!) at membership.citycast.fm

We love to cite our sources!

• Find out about more ways Pittsburgh and Western PA contributed to space exploration.
• The Heinz History Center wrote about Congressman James Fulton’s efforts to fund the Space Race.
• Heinz History Center Curator Emily Ruby did a deep dive into the ways Pittsburgh contributed to the 1969 moon landing.
• Missed Destination Moon? The Heinz History Center has videos up on their website and a virtual tour.
• TribLive reported on some updates on Pittsburgh’s “space district.”
• Over the summer, Astrobotic and ProtoInnovations got NASA grants.
• Learn more about active astronauts; four of them are from Pgh!
• Save the date! NASA made an Eventbrite for anyone who wants to mark the lunar launch on their calendar. You can watch a livestream of the launch on December 24.

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