April 13, 2000: NASA Space Missions & Soviet Disasters - James Oberg

Art Bell welcomes James Oberg, a 22-year veteran of NASA's Mission Control in Houston, for a wide-ranging discussion on the space program's past, present, and future. Oberg describes his front-row seat in the "trench" during shuttle missions and reflects on the Apollo era's spirit of excellence that has since eroded.

The conversation turns to the recent Mars probe failures, where Oberg's reporting for United Press International drew sharp criticism from NASA. He explains how a culture of suppressed bad news and "groupthink" led engineers to withhold concerns about fatal design flaws, drawing parallels to the Challenger disaster. A former Boeing aerospace analyst calls in to corroborate the systemic problems across the defense and space industries.

Oberg also discusses Soviet space disasters, including the failed Russian shuttle program that bankrupted their space efforts, and why the U.S.-Russian partnership remains dysfunctional. The hour opens with Peter Davenport presenting dramatic footage of a 1995 fireball over Ontario, Canada, that appears to show an object launched toward it from the ground.