Robert Zimmerman is an award-winning space historian and reports on science, space, culture, and politics at his website Behind The Black. Beginning in the 2nd hour, he talked about precautions added to the space shuttle program a year after the Columbia reentry disaster, and the possibilities of the discovery of water on Mars, and how this would change science and NASA dramatically.

Zimmerman discussed his theory that the Apollo 8 mission was the one that "won the space race." He also spoke about the spiritual transformations of some of the astronauts and the capitalistic attitude of the Soviets about sharing space research, as well as their plans to physically separate the ISS into sections if there was ever a dispute. Zimmerman then reported on the deep disagreements that astronauts have had with mission control. He also revealed dramatic details about Russian and American mishaps in space. The first hour featured news and Open Lines.