Naked Astronomy, from the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists
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Dec 24, 2019 • 38min

2020 State of the Universe Address

On the tenth anniversary of Naked Astronomy, Dark Matter physicist Ben McAllister delivers our State of the Universe Address and asks "what's changed" in astronomy over the decade since we launched this programme. World leaders explain the impacts of the first photographs of a black hole, the Nobel prize for the detection of exoplanets, the new insights arising from the study of the cosmic microwave background radiation, and the revolution in physics that was the first detection of gravitational waves... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Dec 13, 2019 • 0sec

Glove Actually and the Sew Sisters

Rubber gloves, sew sisters and a mission to the Sun with Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson this month. Richard talks to Solar Orbiter ESA and NASA mission scientists in Munich. Sue reports from the US on the seamstresses to the stars - including Jean Wright, who sewed thermal blankets on the Space Shuttle and Jeanne Wilson, who helped make Neil Armstrong's spacesuit. Plus astronomer Nick Howes on his efforts to track down the Apollo 10 Snoopy lunar lander. Liz Seward from Airbus Defence and Space joins the Space Boffins in the studio and brings along several pairs of gloves used... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Nov 10, 2019 • 52min

Moving to Mars

What would a house on Mars look like? Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson tackle the tricky topic of Mars interior design and the challenges of moving to Mars. They're joined by the Head of Science for the UK Space Agency, Chris Lee, to also discuss a new mission to a comet - a comet that's not yet been discovered - and future international science missions. They also hear from Apollo 12 Flight Director, Gerry Griffin, recalling the dramatic launch of Apollo 12 and the switch - and puppet show - that saved the day. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Oct 15, 2019 • 44min

Cosmic Girl - from California to Cornwall

Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham visit Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne factory floor in Long Beach, California and Sue heads to Spaceport Cornwall, where Virgin Orbit plans to launch its small satellites from a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl. Shahida Barick from SSC Space UK joins them in the studio to explain what Sweden has to offer the space industry and there's a tribute to cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, featuring an interview with the world's first spacewalker and an exclusive extract from Audible's The Space Race docudrama. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Aug 10, 2019 • 38min

Lunar Heritage and Lost Meteorites

Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson with a TinTin style headline for this month's podcast: lunar heritage and the lost meteorites of Antarctica. Recorded at the recent Bluedot festival, Space archaeologist and co-deputy chair of Australia's Space Industry Association, Dr Alice Gorman, explains why we need to think about preserving the Apollo sites before we return to the Moon and Dr Katherine Joy discusses her latest meteorite mission. Bjorn from Sweden provides a jingle, the joys of Lego and the Royal Astronomical Society's Dr Robert Massey joins the fun to add to a long list of... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Jul 10, 2019 • 57min

Apollo 11 Special (Part 2)

This is a Space Boffins podcast to blow your minds. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, it features the only woman in launch control for Apollo 11, JoAnn Morgan, talking about her work as an instrumentation controller and coping with sexism on the job. Former Apollo engineer David Baker joins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson in the British Interplanetary Society library with contributions from Apollo propulsion engineer John Tribe and former NASA Johnson Space Centre head, George Abbey. It also features David Fairhead, director of the new Armstrong movie, and a sneak... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Jun 9, 2019 • 55min

Apollo 11 Special (Part 1)

As mankind celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham are joined by bestselling Apollo 11 author David Whitehouse at the British Interplanetary Society. Universal Pictures' highly anticipated documentary film, Apollo 11, is out in UK cinemas on June 28 and, with a sneak preview, Sue meets the film's director Todd Miller and archivist Stephen Slater. If you've seen the Orion capsule you'll know it resembles Apollo and will splashdown too. Richard talks to Melissa Jones, the NASA landing and recovery director at the Kennedy Space Center,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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May 15, 2019 • 30min

Remarkable Women: A hidden history

Space Boffin Sue Nelson interviews two remarkable women for this podcast: Hidden Figure Christine Darden and Mercury 13 legend and astronaut wannabe, Wally Funk.  Darden, who featured in the book Hidden Figures, worked at NASA for 40 years as a mathematician, computer programmer and sonic boom expert.  Sue's book, Wally Funk's Race for Space, is out in paperback in June. To celebrate its release, we learn more about Funk as she reveals her incredible history and the continued drive to get into space through mementoes at her home in Texas - featuring walk on parts from Eileen... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Apr 9, 2019 • 48min

Giant Rockets to the Moon

The Space Boffins get to see inside the NASA's famous Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Centre - a building so large that it has its own weather system. It's being adapted so that NASA's Saturn V replacement the new SLS or Space Launch System rocket will be built. The senior NASA engineer who's overseeing the project, Ken Tenbusch, gives Richard Hollingham a personal tour. Back in the studio Richard and Sue (Nelson) are joined by rocket expert David Wade and Oliver Morton, author of The Moon: A History for the Future. There's also an insight into Gene Cernan's experience during... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Mar 11, 2019 • 31min

Spacecraft Reunited

This month Space Boffins contemplates the missing universe, the nature of humanity and reunites astronaut Nicole Stott with her Space Shuttle Atlantis. Richard Hollingham is joined by theoretical physicist and comedian Dr Fran Day to discuss a new European mission, Euclid, which will be investigating dark matter. He also chats to NASA's new chief flight director in mission control Houston, Holly Ridings, and we hear from Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart about his revelations from orbit.You can follow Space Boffins on twitter, @SpaceBoffins. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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