Lance Bass To Host Space History Podcast Series ‘The Last Soviet’ For iHeartPodcasts & Kaleidoscope

EXCLUSIVE: Lance Bass, a member of pop group NSYNC and a trained Russian cosmonaut, is hosting a new podcast series about space.

Bass will host The Last Soviet, which tells the story of Russian astronaut Sergei Krikalev’s 313 days in space during the collapse of the USSR.

The eight-part series, which comes from iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope, will launch on February 15.

In 2002, Bass underwent training in Star City, Russia and became a certified cosmonaut. He was certified both by the Russian Space Program and by NASA for a mission on the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft to the International Space Station but after his financial sponsors backed out, Bass was denied a seat on the mission.

Krikalev was stranded on board Mir during the dissolution of the Soviet Union and his return was delayed for twice as long as the mission was planned originally.

“I fell in love with space when my grandfather took me to see my first rocket launch as a kid. I even came close to achieving my dream of going to space 20 years ago when I trained with the Russian Space Agency for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Although I haven’t made it to space yet, I’m thrilled to be able to share my passion with listeners and provide them with a unique perspective on space travel as the host of The Last Soviet,” said Lance Bass. 

“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Lance Bass, and have him on board for this riveting show,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcast Network. “His unique personal connection to the space program, along with his passion, experience and creativity have helped bring this show together.”

“Having Lance Bass host this show is a gift. As one of the few Americans who has experienced training for space travel, let alone with the Russian Space Agency, he’s the perfect person to guide listeners through this fascinating story about the commitment of one of the most famous cosmonauts,” said Kaleidoscope co-founder Oz Woloshyn.

“The Last Soviet is a perfect example of the kind of series Kaleidoscope creates — that change perspectives, broaden horizons, and replenish faith in humanity. We’re excited to continue to partner with iHeartPodcasts to create new genres of shows that focus on incredible stories from around the world,” added Kate Osborn, EVP, Kaleidoscope.”

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