On Episode 217 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the progression of American space efforts.Since 1958, the United States has been part of the spaceflight adventure, and since the mid-1960s has led in just about any category that counts. In this episode, we review which flights launched or landed on July 4, and relive some of our very favorite US space missions of all time!Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Space news of the weekNASA launches rescue mission to save Swift space telescope from burning up in Earth's atmosphereThe Harvard astronomer dubbed Trump’s chief alien hunter starts by assuming UFOs human-made'Independence Day' at 30: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin talk blowing up the White House and crafting a true sci-fi classic (interview)Flag Day – Flying High: The Stars and Stripes in SpaceAmerica at 500: Where will we be in space in 2276?Model Falcon 9!TOP TELESCOPE PICK:(Image credit: Celestron)Looking for a telescope to see planets and comets? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.Finally, did you know you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket maker Estes' stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket that you can pick up now. The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99. You can save 10% by using the code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout, courtesy of our partners collectSPACE.com.About This Week In SpaceThis Week in Space covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars? Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from Space.com as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.