Naked Astronomy, from the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris Smith

Thrusting space science into the audio dimension...

  • 54 minutes 54 seconds
    Off to Europa, and life on Mars
    NASA's Europa Clipper mission is about to head off on a five year mission to explore one of Jupiter's largest moons. Planetary geologist mission scientist Cynthia Phillips joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to discuss why this icy body could potentially be habitable. Plus, engineer, author and president of the Mars Society, Robert Zubrin, on his book The New World on Mars, and how societies and cities will emerge on the red planet once colonisation is underway... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    2 October 2024, 1:23 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    John McFall, Tim Peake and how to build a spaceport
    Former paralympic athlete, surgeon and European Space Agency (ESA) reserve astronaut, John McFall joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to share his experiences of the Fly study to investigate whether people with physical disabilities could become astronauts. Also on the show, astronaut Tim Peake, who now has a new role at Axiom Space, Saxa Vord CEO, Frank Strang, and director of operations, Scott Hammond, discuss how they are building a spaceport in Shetland... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    28 August 2024, 2:35 am
  • 48 minutes 41 seconds
    Challenger, and Space Barbie
    Was the Space Shuttle fundamentally flawed? Richard Hollingham talks to Adam Higginbotham, author of a new book on the Space Shuttle to discuss the design, the dream, and the wishful thinking that led to the Challenger and Columbia disasters. Sue Nelson visits London's Design Museum to visit a new Barbie exhibition and talk "Space Barbie". Also, discussions on the future of the International Space Station, Star Trek: The documentary, and betting on smarties. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    11 July 2024, 2:10 am
  • 48 minutes 45 seconds
    Victor Glover, Starliner and Blue Origin
    NASA astronaut and pilot of the Artemis II mission to the Moon, Victor Glover, joins Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to discuss the first Starliner launch, SpaceX, Artemis, Orion, NASA's mojo and his upcoming mission around the Moon. Plus space investor Mason Angel, crew of the recent Blue Orion sub-orbital flight, shares his experiences and what it was like to be to share the ride alongside 90 year-old Ed Dwight, NASA's first Black astronaut candidate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    31 May 2024, 8:42 am
  • 45 minutes 16 seconds
    EarthCARE, Starliner and NASA's George Abbey
    Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham discuss the upcoming ESA EarthCARE mission with scientist Robin Hogan, the status of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury which will arrive at its destination next year and an exclusive as yet unheard interview with NASA legend George Abbey, who died recently, where he pays tribute to the Brits of Apollo... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    29 April 2024, 3:39 am
  • 50 minutes 20 seconds
    Intuitive Machines and a nuclear reactor for the Moon
    The Chief Scientist for Intuitive Machines, Ben Bussey, joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to talk through the first US soft landing on the Moon since 1972, IM-1. They discuss the landing, the broken legs, experiments and whether the IM control room is really based on Star Trek. Sue also travels to Farnborough to meet the chief engineer for novel nuclear at Rolls Royce, Jake Thompson. He hopes to build a nuclear reactor for a future Moonbase. Plus how Cornwall is fast becoming a centre for lunar communications.Contact us @spaceboffins on Facebook and X or email [email protected] Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    29 March 2024, 11:21 am
  • 53 minutes 19 seconds
    America's return to the Moon and UK lunar ambitions
    After the first soft Moon landing from the US in over 50 years, Ken Kremer shares his excitement for Intuitive Machine's Odysseus lander, NASA's ongoing lunar ambitions, and his concerns over China stealing a lunar edge. Also UK Space Agency Head of Space Exploration, Libby Jackson on Artemis 2 and 3, Gateway and the all-British Axiom mission. Plus the decisions going into de-orbiting a satellite... (Image IM-1 lunar descent, courtesy Intuitive Machines). Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    28 February 2024, 2:12 am
  • 44 minutes 51 seconds
    Moonwalkers, and NASA flight director Gerry Griffin
    Legendary NASA flight director Gerry Griffin and award-winning filmmaker Chris Riley join Space Boffins after a showing of London's immersive Moonwalkers exhibition. Gerry discusses working on the Apollo missions and that infamous SCE to AUX switch as well as his thoughts on Artemis and a verdict on Moonwalkers. We also hear how Chris co-wrote the show with Tom Hanks, who played Jim Lovell in the Apollo 13 movie. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    29 January 2024, 10:53 am
  • 49 minutes 4 seconds
    Frank Borman - Apollo Legend
    It's a seasonal special from Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham with a previously unbroadcast interview with Apollo-era legend Frank Borman. Commander of Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, Colonel Borman passed away in November 2023 aged 95. His Apollo 8 mission was the first manned mission to the Moon, where the crew captured the famous Earthrise image and read from the Book of Genesis on Christmas Eve 1968. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    18 December 2023, 2:22 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Brits in Space!
    With the announcement of a planned all-UK astronaut mission, hosts Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson chat to ESA reserve astronaut Meganne Christian about astronaut selection, life in Antarctica and commercial space stations. Tim Peake - the possible commander of the Axiom mission - talks about his new book, Space The Human Story, which covers the history of human spaceflight from an astronaut's perspective. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    30 October 2023, 7:49 am
  • 58 minutes 34 seconds
    Shuttle Blankets and Space Burials
    A Shuttle emergency you may not have heard of, sending your DNA into space, and a scientist studying the samples from asteroid Bennu. Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham meet Natural History Museum meteorites curator, Natasha Vasiliki Almeida, and talk to Celestis founder, Charles Chafer, about sending your remains into space. Plus Sue chats to Jean Wright about sewing the blankets for the Space Shuttle, and a space repair reminiscent of Apollo 13. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
    8 October 2023, 8:29 am
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