For the past decade, "Are We There Yet?” has brought listeners closer to space by sharing the latest developments in space exploration. Central Florida Public Media is looking back at some highlights from the last 10 years. The show has gone far beyond the studio, including producing an episode from the stratosphere, about 40,000 feet in the air. The team went on a fly-along with NASA’s SOFIA observatory, a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft with a telescope in its tail. “Are We There Yet?” has followed siblings that won a trip on Zero-G flight, taking listeners along to experience weightlessness. The show followed the groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission from pre-launch in 2016 to landing in 2023 after it snagged dirt from an ancient asteroid, which could help scientists understand how life started in the universe. The team has toured the astronaut quarantine facility at Kennedy Space Center and interviewed the chefs that cook for the astronauts before they leave the planet.
“Are We There Yet?” emphasizes the human side of spaceflight. Host Brendan Byrne interviewed private astronaut John Shoffner while he was aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s food scientist who helps prep meals for Space Shuttle astronauts and a variety of former and active astronauts like Nicole Stott, Winston Scott, Charlie Bolden, Chris Hadfield and many more.
While space and science are central to the show, “Are We There Yet?” focuses on the broader view, exploring connections to art, culture, inclusivity, ethics and diversity. This is reflected in the wide range of guests – from Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary, to celebrities like George Takei from Star Trek, the cast of Moon Base 8 and Lance Bass from N’Sync. A recent addition, Curious Space, takes kids’ big questions about space and has real astronauts answer them on the show.
Over the years, the show has grown in reach. In 2019, “Are We There Yet?” made the leap to the FM lineup. To date, the show has tallied more than 500 episodes,1,000 interviews and has reached more than 100 countries.
On Monday, March 23, listeners and space fans gathered to celebrate the 10-year anniversary at Judson’s Live at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a sold-out kickoff of Space on Tap, a new series of live events happening across Central Florida hosted by “Are We There Yet?” and Central Florida Public Media. Attendees enjoyed a live taping of an episode with interactive games, live conversations with scientists and astronauts and behind-the-scenes stories from the past decade. The event not only highlighted just how far “Are We There Yet?” has come but also the community that has grown around it.
To learn more about “Are We There Yet?” and Central Florida Public Media’s other shows and podcasts, visit cfpublic.org/all-shows. To learn more about Space on Tap, visit cfpublic.org/space-on-tap
