Zero Gravity: The Zambian Space Program [from Very Special Episodes]
Astray
iHeartPodcasts
4.2 • 838 Ratings
🗓️ 18 March 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the 1960s, a newly independent Zambia entered the space race with a bold — and baffling — plan. Led by self-declared “Minister of Space” Edward Nkoloso, a team of would-be astronauts trained in oil drums, dreamed of Mars, and captured the world’s attention. To Western observers, it looked like a joke. But Zambia's space ambitions may have been a front for something far more earthly — and far more dangerous.
*
Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English
For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott. Thanks to Anthony West for his excellent voiceover work!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | T-minus five minutes. |
| 0:05.0 | It's late 1964, in the bush outside Lusaka, Zambia, in southern Africa. |
| 0:13.0 | The air is hot, the tension thick. |
| 0:17.0 | A small crowd gathers in a clearing, their eyes fixed on one man. |
| 0:24.8 | A man who, frankly, looks like he just leapt out of a comic book. |
| 0:30.3 | Silky red and green pants, a military helmet, and a cape. |
| 0:35.7 | Yes, a cape, billowing in the wind behind him. His name is Edward |
| 0:41.1 | Encoloso, and he is here to launch Zambia into the space age. Edward and Coloso is orchestrating |
| 0:52.3 | a plan to send African astronauts into space. |
| 0:55.6 | That's Dr. Lucy Gasser, who teaches cultural studies at the University of Osnabruch in Germany. |
| 1:01.6 | And his plan is to give the Soviets and the Americans a run for their money in the Cold War space space. |
| 1:08.4 | Just months earlier, Encoloso helped Zambia win independence after decades of British rule. |
| 1:15.6 | Now he's crowned himself Minister of Space, and he's hungry to put the new country on a different kind of map. |
| 1:23.6 | He wants to launch Zambia onto the world stage as he launches rockets, not just to the moon, but then also to Mars. |
| 1:32.1 | T-minus two minutes. |
| 1:34.5 | Encoloso handpicks 12 young men and women to become Zambia's first astronauts. |
| 1:40.7 | Encoloso paces inspecting his new recruits. |
| 1:44.2 | Today they're attempting a test launch. |
| 1:46.8 | There's no time to waste. |
| 1:48.4 | He's made bold claims that Zambia will land a man on the moon next year. |
| 1:54.8 | And Coloso positions the Zambian space program as a contender in the Cold War space race. So not as some sort of hobbled |
| 2:02.6 | latecomer, but to be ahead of the other two on a number of fronts. And he anticipates a future |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.