While Frank Malina escaped the worst of the FBI's treatment, Suicide Squad member Tsien Hsue-Shen was not so lucky. This episode chronicles the shocking story of how the United States wound up losing one of its most brilliant minds in rocketry to China. 

While Frank Malina escaped the worst of the FBI's treatment, Suicide Squad member Tsien Hsue-Shen was not so lucky. This episode chronicles the shocking story of how the United States wound up losing one of its most brilliant minds in rocketry to China.

“LA Made” is a series exploring stories of bold Californian innovators and how they forever changed the lives of millions all over the world. Each season will unpack the untold and surprising stories behind some of the most exciting innovations that continue to influence our lives today.

Season 3, "LA Made: The Other Moonshot," tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America’s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s.  When Joanne Higgins was growing up in Compton in Los Angeles, she heard her godfather, Charlie Cheathem, tell stories about his key role in the Apollo mission to the moon. As an adult, she realized that his experiences — and those of other Black engineers — had been left out of the history books. She set out to record for the first time the accounts of these men, now in their 90s, whose crucial contributions to the early days of the Apollo mission have been overlooked — or taken credit for by others — despite their ingenuity and determination. 

Season 2, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes,” tells the backstory of the world’s most popular doll, Barbie. Barbie is a cultural icon but what do you really know about her? Hear Barbie's origin story from the people who created her. Co-hosted by Antonia Cereijido and M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, hear the wild stories from never-before-heard tapes of interviews with Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, her wardrobe designer and the sculptors and fabricators, and the innovative marketers who made her what she is today. This 3-part series premieres July 6, 2023.

Season 1, “LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets,” tells the hidden story of the fearless, groundbreaking and ambitious crew who shaped our quest to outer space and ushered in the early days of space exploration at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at CalTech. Known as the “Suicide Squad,” the team’s road to triumph was fraught with controversies involving the occult, a suspected spy ring, unplanned explosions, and a suspicious death. Join writer and life-long aerospace fanatic M.G. Lord as she uncovers their story and reveals the shocking origins of rocket science in this 12 episode season.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This podcast was made possible with support from the Committee for Greater LA in partnership with the Weingart Foundation.

&ldquo;LA Made&rdquo; is a series exploring stories of bold Californian innovators and how they forever changed the lives of millions all over the world. Each season will unpack the untold and surprising stories behind some of the most exciting innovations that continue to influence our lives today.
Season 3, "LA Made: The Other Moonshot," tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America&rsquo;s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s.&nbsp; When Joanne Higgins was growing up in Compton in Los Angeles, she heard her godfather, Charlie Cheathem, tell stories about his key role in the Apollo mission to the moon. As an adult, she realized that his experiences &mdash; and those of other Black engineers &mdash; had been left out of the history books. She set out to record for the first time the accounts of these men, now in their 90s, whose crucial contributions to the early days of the Apollo mission have been overlooked &mdash; or taken credit for by others &mdash; despite their ingenuity and determination.&nbsp;
Season 2, &ldquo;LA Made: The Barbie Tapes,&rdquo; tells the backstory of the world&rsquo;s most popular doll, Barbie. Barbie is a cultural icon but what do you really know about her? Hear Barbie's origin story from the people who created her. Co-hosted by Antonia Cereijido and M.G. Lord, author of&nbsp;Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, hear the wild stories from never-before-heard tapes of interviews with Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, her wardrobe designer and the sculptors and fabricators, and the innovative marketers who made her what she is today. This 3-part series premieres July 6, 2023.
Season 1, &ldquo;LA Made: Blood, Sweat &amp; Rockets,&rdquo; tells the hidden story of the fearless, groundbreaking and ambitious crew who shaped our quest to outer space and ushered in the early days of space exploration at Pasadena&rsquo;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at CalTech. Known as the &ldquo;Suicide Squad,&rdquo; the team&rsquo;s road to triumph was fraught with controversies involving the occult, a suspected spy ring, unplanned explosions, and a suspicious death. Join writer and life-long aerospace fanatic M.G. Lord as she uncovers their story and reveals the shocking origins of rocket science in this 12 episode season.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This podcast was made possible with support from the Committee for Greater LA in partnership with the Weingart Foundation.

LA Made: The Other Moonshot

[APP] LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets

Blood, Sweat & Rockets: The Curse of Tsien

In the final episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": Despite several stopgaps and hiccups, the moon landing is a monumental success, although many Black Americans feel it’s come at a cost to their progress. The discrimination Charlie, Nate and Shelby  faced at work finally makes it into government hearings. And the trio today reflect on their contributions to the space race, expressing their sense of pride and wonder, as well as unresolved wounds from  their experiences. 

"LA Made: The Other Moonshot" is a production of LAist Studios with Reasonable Volume, and the third season of the LA Made franchise. 

Visit BetterHelp.com/moonshot to get 10% off your first month. The Other Moonshot is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

In the final episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": Despite several stopgaps and hiccups, the moon landing is a monumental success, although many Black Americans feel it&rsquo;s come at a cost to their progress. The discrimination Charlie, Nate and Shelby &nbsp;faced at work finally makes it into government hearings. And the trio today reflect on their contributions to the space race, expressing their sense of pride and wonder, as well as unresolved wounds from &nbsp;their experiences.&nbsp;
"LA Made: The Other Moonshot" is a production of LAist Studios with Reasonable Volume, and the third season of the LA Made franchise.&nbsp;
Visit BetterHelp.com/moonshot to get 10% off your first month. The Other Moonshot is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Part 4: The Landing

In this episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": The launch of Apollo 6. Nate and Charlie must choose how to respond when their work is undermined by superiors, leading to tense stand-offs. Meanwhile Shelby works on a project which will define his legacy — and our view of Earth.  Workplace pay disparities come to light, while the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. reveals tensions that the engineers can no longer ignore.

"LA Made: The Other Moonshot" is a production of LAist Studios with Reasonable Volume, and the third season of the LA Made franchise. 

Visit BetterHelp.com/moonshot to get 10% off your first month. The Other Moonshot is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

In this episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": The launch of Apollo 6. Nate and Charlie must choose how to respond when their work is undermined by superiors, leading to tense stand-offs. Meanwhile Shelby works on a project which will define his legacy &mdash; and our view of Earth.&nbsp; Workplace pay disparities come to light, while the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. reveals tensions that the engineers can no longer ignore.
"LA Made: The Other Moonshot" is a production of LAist Studios with Reasonable Volume, and the third season of the LA Made franchise.&nbsp;
Visit BetterHelp.com/moonshot to get 10% off your first month. The Other Moonshot is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Part 3: Making an Impact

In this episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": Were these three engineers set up to fail? The space race starts to hit debilitating roadblocks, and the Black aerospace engineers are beginning to feel the weight of the workplace — and the clock ticking. Shelby, Nate and Charlie develop different ways to cope with the pressure. A tragedy during an Apollo 1 flight simulation raises the stakes even further, while outside the company, racial tensions come to a head in nearby Watts.

"LA Made: The Other Moonshot" is a production of LAist Studios with Reasonable Volume, and the third season of the LA Made franchise. 

Visit BetterHelp.com/moonshot to get 10% off your first month. The Other Moonshot is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

In this episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": Were these three engineers set up to fail? The space race starts to hit debilitating roadblocks, and the Black aerospace engineers are beginning to feel the weight of the workplace &mdash; and the clock ticking. Shelby, Nate and Charlie develop different ways to cope with the pressure. A tragedy during an Apollo 1 flight simulation raises the stakes even further, while outside the company, racial tensions come to a head in nearby Watts.
"LA Made: The Other Moonshot" is a production of LAist Studios with Reasonable Volume, and the third season of the LA Made franchise.&nbsp;
Visit BetterHelp.com/moonshot to get 10% off your first month. The Other Moonshot is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Blood, Sweat & Rockets: The Curse of Tsien

In 1 playlist(s)

LA Made: The Other Moonshot

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips