AstrotalkUK

Not for profit, astronomy podcast based in the UK

Archives for July 2011

Yuri Gagarin Talk and Book Signing – Manchester Monday 1st August

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Something that you may be interested in if you are local to Manchester.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is running its Festival of Transport” between 30th July and 7th August. Lots going on. The festival is open to the public and it is  free.

During the Transport Festival, I will be doing a short talk and signing my recently published book “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” on Monday 1st August between 14:00 and 14:40.

 

Episode 47:25th July 2011: Yuri Gagarin Statue in London

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A copy of the statue outside the school near Moscow where Gagarin trained in foundry workLinks to audio and video below.

The 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s UK visit was marked by the unveiling of an aluminium statue of Gagarin, an exact copy of the one outside Lyubertsy Technical School number 10 where Gagarin started his training as a foundryman. The statue, a gift from the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos to the British Council, is located outside the British Council Offices in London but only for one year.

This episode is a collection of some of the speeches and my short interviews during the three events on 14th July. They were the unveiling of the statue in the morning, the lunchtime reception at the Russian Embassy and the evening reception back at the British council.  So, in order of appearance here is a list of all the contributors in this episode

Unveiling of the statue ceremony was opened by

  1. Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council
  2. Vladimir Popovkin Head of Roscosmos (speaking in Russian but with a translator)
  3. Yuri Gagarin’s oldest daughter – Elena Gagarina unveiled the statue
  4. Derek Pullen who provides a brief description of how the statue came from Moscow to London.

Two recordings during the lunchtime Reception at the Russian Embassy where incidentally, Gagarin spent each of his four nights in the UK

  1. The Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko,
  2. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, who holds the record for the longest time spent in space

British Council Evening reception

  1. Nataliya Koroleva. Chief Designer Sergei Korolev’s daughter. Who gave me a gentle rebuke whilst looking through my book “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” and seeing a photograph of Wernher von Braun and Herman Oberth but not of her father!
  2. The episode ends with Ambassador Yakovenko briefly recalling his recent meeting with the queen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korolev’s daughter, grand daughter and great grand daughter

Yri Gagarin State in Londond Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Final Shuttle Flight and the Shuttle landing Facility – a personal memory

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I had watched the channel 4 documentary on Saturday evening and inevitably ended up comparing it to the one on BBC last night. The ad breaks aside, the BBC’s version came out on top because of the focus on people, perhaps because of Kevin Fong’s connection to the shuttle program. The personal emotional contributions from the NASA administrator, people who will soon out of  job and the touching discussion between Piers Sellers and three other astronauts discussing frankly the real danger of spaceflight  to life (the throttle-up and mach 19 moments). I also found it was quantitatively more informative (decent rate of 28,000ft per minute,  home-made sandwiches, a minimum of 1000 landing approaches and the first view of the high res digital camera – described by its operator).

An odd thought arose whilst I was watching the close-out crew doing their thing. They get pretty up-close and personal but they were all male and not all astronauts are.

Apart from their technical skills and professionalism, I wonder how much of  the “spirit” of the BBC guides the program makers? Like the Shuttle the BBC itself is a marvel of our times.  An excellent documentary -well done all.

On a personal note..

Almost exactly 21 years ago (28th July 1990) I was in Florida working on my Private Pilots Licence. The variable weather in the UK was just too variable and I went out there for a month.

I was training at an airfield in Titusville, a short distance from Merritt Island where the 3 mile long Shuttle Landing Facility is located. It is part of the John F. Kennedy Space Center.

On a tip from a local pilot, I sought and got clearance (with restrictions – minimum altitude 1000ft and remain 5000ft west) from air traffic traffic controller  to fly along the runway. At that time I only had completed my solo but not my final test!

This 3 minute video is from  21 year old VHS tape! Filmed on board Cessna 152 (N49010) by Bill Benson and my instructor in Florida was a brit –  Gary Evans from AirwiseUK Ltd who had also gone to Florida for the flying friendly weather.

Events to mark the 50th Anniversary of Gagarin’s visit to Britain

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Here is a quick summary

  • Follow @YuriGagarin50 for a series of tweets over 5 days  starting tomorrow at (11th July) at 10:29 when Gagarin arrived at London Heathrow exactly 50 years ago. @YuriGagarin50 will follow in his footsteps matching his itinerary in London and Manchester.
  • 12th July – details uncertain – Manchester International airport Airport is  unveiling a plaque to commemorate Gagarin’s arrival. Contact press office 0161 489 2705
  • 13:00 -14:00 on 12th July Manchester Town Hall. A small gathering of those who met Gagarin in Manchester. This event is by invitation only. Contact   0161 234 3311
  • 7pm 12th July Science Museum in London Memories of my father.Natalya Koroleva, daughter of Sergei Korolev, Chief Designer of the Soviet Missile and Space Programmes,  talks about her father’s incredible achievements.
  • 7pm 13th July Science Museum in London Sergei Krikalev will be joined by Helen Sharman, his crew mate and the first Briton in space, and will share experiences of missions on the Soyuz and Shuttle spacecraft and his record breaking stays aboard the International and Mir Space Stations.