<p>NASA is gearing up for the Artemis II mission — where it will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years. While space exploration is never without risk, a retired astronaut is warning that NASA is "playing Russian roulette" with the lives of the crew. </p><p>So have lessons been learnt from the Challenger and Columbia disasters?</p><p>To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.</p><p>Get in touch with us: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p><p>Guests:</p><p>Peter KingCorrespondent for CBS News Radio</p><p>Wendy Whitman CobbSpace policy expert at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies</p><p>Charlie CamardaRetired NASA research engineer and astronaut</p><p>Howard BerkesFormer investigative reporter, NPR</p><p>Leslie EbelingDaughter, Bob Ebeling</p><p>Brian RussellFormer engineer, Morton Thiokol</p><p>Credits:</p><ul><li>Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki</li><li>Reporter: Fiona Pepper</li><li>Senior Producer: James Bullen</li><li>Series Producer: Jonathan Webb</li><li>Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove</li><li>Sound Engineer: Simon Branthwaite</li><li>Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond</li></ul><p>This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.</p>