What influence do presidents have over NASA? How has Mars shaped American objectives in space? Are we really going back to the moon? Join Nate Ray for Part 1 of his two-part conversation with David W. Brown, a science&nbsp;journalist and author who has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,&nbsp;The New Yorker, Scientific American, Vox, and Smithsonian. Also, check out David's most recent book, The Mission, which is in stores now.

A Conversation with David W. Brown, Part 2

Whether you are a casual space observer, a fanatic, or a skeptic, the Rocket LaunchPod is your guide to how the American space program got to where it is today -- and where it's going in the future. Why haven’t we been to the moon since 1972? What happened to the space shuttle program? Is Mars colonization really possible? Join Nate Ray as he talks with astronauts, NASA scientists, and space journalists to get to the bottom of American space exploration.