Space Boffins, from the Naked Scientists

Queen guitarist, rock star and astronomer Brian May adds some celebrity stardust and big hair on this month's podcast for the launch of the 2019 Starmus Festival. May talks about the essential humanity of a science, arts and music overlap and reveals that he's been quietly contributing to not one, but two space missions. Also on the podcast, Britain's first astronaut Helen Sharman discusses the future of orbiting space stations and Chris Welch bigs up the International Space University and explains why he has a Project Juno poster. Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham are presenting... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sue bags a flight on Europe's 'Zero G' aircraft to experience microgravity. Back in the studio, Richard and Sue are joined by Libby Jackson from the UK Space Agency to discuss her new book on women in space. And the Boffins celebrate the era when Britain led the space race with the Skylark rocket. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson are joined by space journalist Sarah Cruddas and rocket insurer, David Wade, to discuss 2017 and look ahead to 2018 in space. Featuring genetically engineered astronauts, Cassini and giant private rockets, it also includes the second part of our interview with Apollo 15 astronaut, Al Worden. He talks about his pioneering spacewalk, difficult homecoming, life after the Moon and reveals how he feels about his commander. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, TV science presenter Dallas Campbell joins Sue and Richard to discuss how to leave the planet. The Space Boffins also hear from Apollo 15 legend Al Worden, who spent 3 days isolated in his space capsule around the Moon. And what better way to celebrate the film Contact than by following in the footsteps of Jodie Foster at the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Two astronauts and an Imperial Storm Trooper join the Space Boffins podcast from The Netherlands at the European Space Agency's ESTEC Open Day - where thousands of people can see the Agency's spacecraft testing facilities and meet the scientists and engineers involved in ESA space missions. Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham catch up with ESTEC head Franco Ongaro; Europe's first woman on the International Space Station, Claudie Haigner; a Star Wars Storm Trooper otherwise known as Rosetta project scientist Matt Taylor; as well as the British-born NASA born astronaut Michael Foale and his plans... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins Sue Nelson, Richard Hollingham and studio guest Sarah Cruddas talk rockets, total eclipses and Cassini's final days at Saturn. Apollo, Mercury and Shuttle propulsions engineer John Tribe reminisces about his incredible career - beginning in Britain and ending up in Cape Canaveral - including his final moments with astronaut Gus Grissom and the crew of Apollo 1 before its fatal fire. Cassini project scientist Linda Spilker, from NASA JPL, bids a sad farewell to a remarkably successful mission around Saturn, its rings and moons before the final plunge on September 15. Plus there's... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, European astronaut Luca Parmitano suggests a future for genetically engineered space travellers, the Space Boffins celebrate 40 years of the Voyager mission and look forward to the demise of Cassini, shortly to plunge into Saturn. Space scientist Carl Murray joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham with some perfume, a mug and an unusual memento from the Voyager spacecraft. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins Sue Nelson and the Guardian's Stuart Clark are at the European Space Agency's ESTEC facility in The Netherlands to see the BepiColombo spacecraft - Europe's mission to Mercury. As the LISA Pathfinder mission comes to a successful end, we meet Paul McNamara who's developing the LISA mission for detecting gravitational waves in space. And is Earth really a planet? A new exhibition captures the view from Pluto. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Space Boffins return to Mars to hear about progress on the plus-sized US and petite European rovers. Recorded in the Mars Yard in Stevenage, Richard and Sue are joined by guests Abbie Hutty from Airbus and science journalist Stuart Clark. Richard also talks to the Project Scientist for NASA's 2020 Mars rover, Ken Farley, and British astronaut, Tim Peake, discusses his 'dynamic' return to Earth in a Soyuz spacecraft. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Richard is at SETI in California to hunt space aliens with the institute's chief astronomer, Seth Shostak. He also reports from the iconic Parkes space telescope in Australia on the Breakthrough Listen hunt for ET. And, in the search for aliens closer to home, he talks to the head of Cassini's imaging team and one of NASA's top astrobiologists about life on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Is the truth out there? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists