Lance Bass to host space history podcast series ‘The Last Soviet’ for iHeartPodcast and Kaleidoscope

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

Host the bus The Last Sovietwhich tells the story of Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev’s 313 days in space during the fall of the USSR.

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

In 2002, Bass trained in Star City, Russia and became a certified astronaut. He was certified by both the Russian Space Program and NASA for a mission aboard 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 the Mir during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and his return was delayed twice as long as the mission had originally planned.

“I fell in love with space when my grandfather took me to see my first rocket launch as a child. I even came close to achieving my dream of going into space 20 years ago when I trained with the Russian Space Agency for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Although I have yet to reach space, I am thrilled to be able to share my passion with the audience and provide a unique perspective on space travel as their host. The Last Soviet” said Lance Bass.

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

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

“The Last Soviet A perfect example of the kind of series Kaleidoscope creates – one that changes perspectives, broadens horizons and fills one’s faith in humanity. We’re excited to continue partnering with iHeartPodcasts to create new genre shows that focus on incredible stories from around the world,” added Kate Osborn, EVP, Kaleidoscope.”