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Episode 121 – Failed stars or successful planets?

By Gurbir Dated: April 17, 2025 Leave a Comment

This episode was recorded at the Mount Teide Observatory with Jerry Zhang, a final year PhD student under the supervision of Professor Eduardo L Martín and Dr Nicolas Lodieu at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. This class of object had been predicted for a long time but was first detected in 1995 from an observation conducted at the Mount Teide Observatory by a team of observers, including Jerry’s supervisor, Eduardo L Martín.

Jerry’s research focuses on Brown Dwarfs. Astronomical objects are somewhere in between stars and planets. Typically, their size is that of Jupiter, around 150,000km and a mass of between 15 and 70 times that of Jupiter. With such low mass (less than 0.08 of our sun), they can never reach the temperature or pressure in their cores necessary for nuclear fusion. They can never shine like our sun. They remain dim and small (brown and dwarf) throughout their lifetime.

Jerry’s most recent publication, arising from his Phd research, records the first detection of methane in an extreme metal-poor T dwarf.

Listen or download (click the three dots)

Pleiades cluster where Teide-1 was discovered in 1995.

Credit: Author using Seestar S50 — Pleiades cluster where Teide-1 was discovered in 1995.
Credit: Author using Seestar S50

Episode 120: Prof. Gengxin Xie. A Greenhouse on the Moon

By Gurbir Dated: April 8, 2025 Leave a Comment

On Thursday, 3rd January 2019, some water was added to some seeds in a tiny greenhouse. The seeds, cotton, potato, Rape and Arabidopsis sprouted.

Experiments like this have been conducted many times before. What was special about this one was that it was done on the surface of the Moon.

The guest on this episode is Professor Xie Gengxin from Chongqing University in central China. He was the Chief Designer of this Bio experiment carried to the Moon on Chang’e 4 in January 2019. The interview was recorded in Milan during the International Astronautical Congress 2024.

In summary

The Chang’e 4 lunar mission by China landed on the far side of the moon and conducted a unique biological experiment involving cotton, potato, rape, and Arabidopsis seeds, along with fruit fly eggs and yeast, within a small, sealed greenhouse.
The primary goal of the experiment was to determine if plants could germinate and grow on the moon despite the lower gravity, lack of atmosphere, intense sunlight and radiation, and extreme temperature variations.
Cotton seeds successfully germinated 22 hours after water was added, marking the first instance of plant growth on the moon. These lunar seedlings grew faster than their counterparts in a control experiment on Earth and showed surprising resilience to the cold lunar night.
The experiment’s design included features like passive insulation, active temperature control, a small window for natural sunlight, and anti-fogging technology for the cameras monitoring the growth.
The findings suggest that lower gravity and higher radiation might have aided plant growth, and the experiment provided valuable insights and led to the development of technologies relevant to future space-based agriculture and the establishment of lunar habitats.
This biological experiment is considered a significant step in China’s lunar exploration program, which includes plans for a future lunar base (the International Lunar Research Station) and further research into creating sustainable ecosystems in space, potentially within lunar lava tubes.

Episode 120. A Greenhouse on the Moon.

Episode 119: Professor Ivan Almar and Astronomy in Hungary during the Soviet Era

By Gurbir Dated: January 9, 2025 Leave a Comment

During the International Astronautical Congress in Milan in October 2024, Professor Iván Almár was elected to be a member of the Astronautics Hall of Fame.

Professor Ivan Almar: Credit Konkoly Observatory Budapest, Hungary DSc

It is an honour previously bestowed on individuals or groups that in the past have included Apollo 11 astronauts, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Zezhou SUN Designer-in-Chief of Chang’e-4 Program, Yuri Koptev General Director of the Russian Space Agency, the James Webb Space Telescope team from (NASA, ESA and CSA), and the Tianwen-1 Spacecraft Development Team.

I am familiar with Theodore Von Karman and Herman Oberth, both of whom are associated with Hungary. They played an instrumental role in the development of astronautics. Since Hungary was under the influence of the USSR for most of the post-WW2 years, the astronautics it conducted were not easily publicly accessible.

Ivan Almar completed his university studies in 1954 and became aware of the activities for the International Geophysical Year 1957-58. He knew that the USSR Academy of Sciences and other countries planned to build and launch satellites to observe the Earth from orbit. The coincidence of time and place set him on his long career. His contributions included

Director of the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest
The founding director of the Satellite Geodetic Observatory in Hungary
President of the Hungarian Astronautical Society
Co-developer of the Rio Scale, used to quantify the impact of any public announcement regarding evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence.
Author of the San Marino Scale to quantify the potential impact of employing electromagnetic communications technology to announce Earth’s presence.
The London Scale can evaluate and present complex information about the scientific importance, validity and potential consequences of an alleged discovery of ET life.
I met and recorded this interview during the International Astronautical Congress in Milan on Friday, 18th October 2024.

I started by asking him how his interest in astronomy started.

Episode 118 : Galactic Magnetic Fields

By Gurbir Dated: September 26, 2024 Leave a Comment

Dr Vasuhandra Shaw is a postdoctoral research Associate at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. Her subject of interest is a huge one, and I mean ginormous. It concerns the magnetic field of a Galaxy.

I knew that the Earth and many other objects in the solar system have magnetic fields, but I had no idea about the galaxy as a whole. Our Milky Way galaxy is huge; how do you even begin to understand the magnetic field of something like that? She will explain.

We also spoke about her interesting journey from Lucknow in northern India, where she completed her undergraduate studies, to Pondicheri in southern India, where many people still speak French, where she completed her first Master’s degree; Paris, where she completed her second, and Berlin, Germany, where she completed her PhD.

We also discuss the precarious uncertainty in the careers that researchers and academics must endure before acquiring a full-time post. Not all of them make it that far.

Cliff Richard and astronomer from Yorkshire Fred Hoyle, who was the Professor Brian Cox of the 1960s, also popped up in our conversation.

Episode 117 – Early Aviation in Manchester

By Gurbir Dated: September 8, 2024 1 Comment

Manchester has always been associated with the spirit of scientific discovery and technological innovation. Cotton spinning and weaving, steam engines, railways and computing are familiar themes but Manchester also played a leading role in the development of aviation.

Frank Pleszak, an author and volunteer at the avroheritagemuseum.co.uk in Woodford, which celebrates its centenary year with an open day on September 15th, 2024, has written a blog post that includes a map of locations in Manchester identifying many of the events and people of aviation at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In this program, Frank shares his research on early aviation in Manchester.

Episode 116: Exploring Cosmic Events with Professor Rene Breton at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics

By Gurbir Dated: June 27, 2024 Leave a Comment

**Professor Rene Breton.** Deputy head of the Department of Astronomy and Physics at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics

Some of the most energetic events in the cosmos are associated with the products left after a star’s violent end. These products are always smaller and denser: a white dwarf (the size of a planet), a Neutron star (the size of a city), or a Black Hole (an object without a size). The bigger the initial mass of a star, the sooner and more energetic its end will be. Our Sun is not all that massive; it will end up as a white dwarf in and out 4.5 billion years from now.

Professor Rene Breton, originally from Quebec, has been working at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics for over a decade. We discuss only a small part of his current research, including how Pulsars may one day be used as a GPS for interstellar travel. Other topics include

Why and how he ended up in Manchester
His first impressions of Manchester and comparisons with Quebec in Canada
The key role of a high-school teacher, Mr. Gaudreault, setting him on his career in science
Stellar evolution – how stars are born and the process by which they end up as white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes
Event Horizon Telescope – imaging the black hole in the centre of our galaxy
The ultimate fate of our Sun
Quasars are distant galaxies with a Black Hole in the centre, so distant that they look like stars.
FAST Radio bursts, including Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), are from extragalactic distances. Events that last a few seconds or less – a sign of merging neutron stars or evidence of Hypernovae (not novae or supernovae)!
Neutron Stars in Binary Systems, accretion discs and “spiders”
Neutron Stars as a cosmic GPS for future space travellers
Detect Gravitational Waves using neutron stars. Gravitational Wave detectors are not very sensitive, so they can only detect high-energy events, such as the collision of two neutron stars or the formation of black holes.
Space-borne Gravity Wave detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, which NASA plans to launch in the 2030s, will be able to detect a wider range of cosmological phenomena.
Square Kilometer Array’s role in detecting more neutron stars, pulsars and even pulsars orbiting black holes
Pulsar Timing Array – a GPS for interstellar travel

Professor Rene Breton. University of Manchester. Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics

Episode 115 – Professor Michael Garrett & Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics

By Gurbir Dated: June 13, 2024 Leave a Comment

In this episode with Professor Mike Garrett FRS, we discuss some of the many research activities conducted by him, his colleagues and students at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JCBA) University of Manchester. Many of these activities involve international collaboration and are thus conducted elsewhere around the world and not just in Manchester. One of the big takeaways for me was the work of Mancunian Dennis Walsh who made the very first Gravitational Lensing observation from Jodrell Bank. He was also Professor Garrett’s PhD supervisor.

A shorter version of this interview was broadcast on Allfm.org 11th June 2024.

Some of the topics we discussed include:

Recollections of working with Sir Bernard Lovell
Gravitational Lensing and its origins at Jodrell Bank through the work of Dennis Walsh
JBCA’s long association with Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and how the increased funding via the Breakthrough Listen Programme, has increased SETI research by acquiring more time on existing radio telescopes including Parkes and Greenbank. Also introducing new approaches to SETI research. Rather than collecting new data, the new approach involves analysing open source data from Earth and spaceborne sources including the European Southern Observatory, Alma Observatory and the WISE spacecraft.
More than 150 individuals from the University of Manchester are associated with the international program the Square Kilometer Array, headquartered in Manchester.
The global increase in the use of Low-Frequency Array (Lofar) technology in Radio astronomy.
The USA, Europe and China are looking at the far side of the Moon as a location for radio astronomy
The role of Brexit and its impact on Britain’s capacity to participate and lead in internationally collaborative programs.

Episode 114 – Chris Riley and The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks

By Gurbir Dated: May 28, 2024 Leave a Comment

Christopher Riley was trained as a geologist, but his greatest skill is his imagination. He is known for his books and as a filmmaker, specialising in documentaries including In the Shadow of the Moon, First Orbit (on Youtube) and Director’s Cut of Moonwalk One (Amazon DVD)

His latest work, a 50-minute show, The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks is an immersive audio-visual experience in a unique venue in the centre of London. The visuals are provided by 26 high-res Panasonic laser projectors that produce giant videos and still images that wraps around multiple walls. The exceptional audio is powered by the German-made Holoplot speaker system comprising 1600 speakers. If you ever wondered what comes after Imax – this is it.

The script was written by Tom Hanks and Christopher Riley. This unique audio-visual experience of the Apollo story is available only in London and only until 13th October 2024. More images and clips here.

The Space Race, that started with Gagarin’s spaceflight on April 1961 and arguably ended in July 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface of the Moon. It is perhaps the most astonishing episode of human progress. It was an epic leap because it was more than just a technological advance. It may have been borne out of national rivalries but its legacy touched our individual perceptions of each other on earth and beyond. .

In this conversation, recorded in London he talks about his writing, filmmaking and how the idea of The Moonwalkers came about. Parts of this interview were transmitted in my bi-weekly radio program on allfm.org on 28th May 2024.

Episode 113 – Rocket Pioneer Hermann Oberth

By Gurbir Dated: April 5, 2024 Leave a Comment

Hermann Oberth around 1950s. Public Domain — Hermann Ober Around 1950s

The idea of using rockets for transport had been well-established before the first flights of heavier-than-air aeroplanes in 1903. When it comes to turning that idea into reality, three names are considered as fathers of rocketry: Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard and Hermann Oberth.

For this episode, I visited the Hermann Oberth Space Travel Museum in the German Town of Feucht, near Nurnberg and spoke with its director Karl-Heinz Rohrwild. A summary of the interview is below along with some pictures from the museum.

The museum is run entirely by volunteers in the interest of science. The exhibits on display are a tiny amount of the exhibits that exist. Museum expansion planned the for 100th of the publication of his second book in 1929. With plans to make lots of the documents available online.I found Karl-Heinz very helpful, opening the museum for my visit during a public holiday. He and his colleagues extend that welcome to anyone wishing to visit. Contact details here.

Listen here or click the three dots to download

Summary

His father had been a surgeon. He wanted Hermann to have a career in Medicine.
Brilliant at maths but likely he was autistic at some level.
Lost his brother Adolf in WW1 and became anit-war.
Considered using a massive bomb delivered by rocket to destroy the senior people who decided to start and maintain the war.
Wrote two key books in rocketry in the 1920s
Fritz Lang director of the early sci-fi Metropolis followed by Frau im Mond. Oberth worked on that film as an advisor.
1929: Winner of the International Award for Astronautics (Robert Esnault-Pelterie-Hirsch-Award)
Envisaged the use of solar energy in orbit and designed the first gyroscopes.
Also envisaged a huge space-based mirror that would beam power down to Earth for terrestrial use.
1927 A member of the first and most successful space/rocketry society – Verien for Rsumshifffhart (Society of Space Travel)
Oberth championed the use of rocket staging, liquid engine propulsion and the use of rocket engines in the near vicinity of space (not in the atmosphere)
The RAF bombing raid on August 26, 1943, nearly killed both Oberth and Wernher von Oberth were working there.
Post WW2 interrogated by Theodore von Karman and it was decided Oberth was not taken to the USA. In part, Oberth did not want to go.
1951 lived through tough times. He was making his living in part as a farmer.

Episode 112 – Brown Dwarfs, Dark Matter and Dark Energy

By Gurbir Dated: March 15, 2024 Leave a Comment

This episode was recorded in Tenerife with Professor Eduardo L Martín who is based at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. He is working on the European Space Agency’s mission, Euclid.

In time Euclid will shed light on both dark matter and dark energy. It was launched in July 2023 and arrived in its L2 orbit a month later. It has just two instruments which will produce a high-resolution 3-D map of a third of the sky, stretching back 10 billion years during its initial 6-year operational lifetime.

Professor Martín is not part of the Euclid Consortium the around 2500 scientists and engineers from more than a dozen countries who operate the Euclid Mission. He is one of the two Euclid mission Independent Legacy Scientists. Professor Martín is a specialist in substellar bodies, that is celestial bodies with a size about that of Jupiter but with around 50 times its mass. When initially theorised in the 1960s they were called Black Dwarfs but renamed in the 1970s by Jill Tarter as Brown Dwarfs.

Brown Dwarfs generate energy only through gravitational compression, not nuclear fusion. There is an overlap in surface temperature between young brown dwarfs and old very low-mass stars. Martín and his collaborators have developed spectroscopic methods to distinguish brown dwarfs from stars, in particular the Lithium test. More about this interesting role of Lithium in cosmology in Professor Martín’s book published in 2023 by the Institute of Physics, entitled “Lithium Across the Universe“. You can download several free-to-read chapters – here.

Brown Dwarfs emit mostly in the infrared not optical light as our sun. One of the two instruments on Euclid operates in the infrared and can detect these “dark ultracold objects of substellar mass“. Does Professor Martin think Euclid will find Brown Dwarfs? He told me in this recording, “that is what I put in the proposal so we had better do now”. He is supported by a postdoc Marusa Zerjal and a student Diego Martin, funded by the European Research Council.

The first images were released in November 2023. The spacecraft and its instruments are operating well and sending data. More about the Euclid mission, images released so far and a summary of the attributes of Normal Matter, Dark Matter and Dark Energy below.

Episode112 ESA’s Euclid Mission with Professor Eduardo Martin

Perhaps the most pressing question for astrophysicists is what is the cosmos made of. They have known for a long time that visible matter accounts only for the 5%, Dark Matter, 27% and Dark Energy 68%. Currently, most of the attributes of Dark Matter and Dark Energy remain a mystery. Helping to shed some answers to these questions is Euclid’s primary goal.

The visible matter is something we are surrounded by. It responds to all 4 known forces, electromagnetic, gravitation, and the strong and weak nuclear force. Dark matter is not dark, it’s invisible and is only detected through its gravitational influence on the matter we can see. Gravitational lensing is one manifestation.

Whereas gravity is a force of attraction, Dark Energy is repulsive, powering the expansion of the Universe. Its effects are observed by monitoring type 1a supernovae in distant galaxies. Some scientists consider Dark Energy as the Cosmological Constant that Einstein initially added and then removed from his General Theory of Relativity. The Cosmological Constant is now considered by some as the 5th fundamental force, after gravity, electromagnetism, and strong and weak nuclear forces.

Horse head Nebula. Credit ESA
Globular Cluster NGC6397. Credit ESA
Irregular Galaxy NGC6822. Credit ESA
Spiral galaxy IC342. Credit ESA Credit ESA
Perseus Cluster. Credit ESA

Summary of attributes for Normal Matter, Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Attribute	Normal Matter	Dark Matter	Dark Energy
Formation Time	Shortly after the Big Bang	Likely formed shortly after the Big Bang	Believed to have originated with the expansion of the universe
Location	Everything we can see including Galaxies, stars, planets and the interstellar medium	Primarily in galactic halos, halos around galactic clusters and permeates the universe	Homogeneously distributed throughout space, associated with vacuum energy
Observational Evidence	Emission and absorption spectra, visible light, X-rays, cosmic microwave background	Gravitational effects on visible matter, galaxy rotation curves; Dark matter inferred from galaxy cluster dynamics by Fritz Zwicky, 1933). Galaxy rotation curves suggest dark matter and the work of Vera Rubin from the 1970s. Observation of gravitational lensing.	Acceleration of cosmic expansion, distant Type 1a supernova observations by Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt, Adam Riess (1998-1999). In time, it may turn out to be the 5th fundamental force.
Interaction with Electromagnetic Force	Strong interaction, contributes to various spectra and emissions	Weak or non-existent interactions with light and other EM waves	Weak or non-existent interactions with light and other EM waves
Interaction with Gravitational Force	Experiences gravitational attraction with other matter	Experiences gravitational attraction, influencing cosmic structures.	Exhibits a repulsive gravitational effect, driving cosmic expansion
Percentage Composition in the Universe	~4.6% of the total mass-energy content	~26.5% of the total mass-energy content	~68.9% of the total mass-energy content

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Episode 111 – Chandrayaan-3

By Gurbir Dated: November 30, 2023 1 Comment

*Project Director P Veeramuthuvel, Associate Project Director: Kalpana Kalahasti and ISRO Chairman: S. Somanath*

Traditionally an ISRO live stream event ends with a few short speeches from the ISRO chairman and several of the key personnel associated with the mission. On 23 August 2023, following the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 lander, this tradition played out as normal. But this time, along with chairman Somanath on the stage was the Chandrayaan-3 Associate Project Director, Kalpana Kalahasti. Although ISRO has many female scientists, engineers and managers, this was the first time (to my knowledge) for a woman to make it to the stage during the live stream.

A qualified communications engineer, Kalapana Kalahasti has worked on several mission including the 2013 Earth observation satellite called SARAL, jointly with the French Space Agency CNES.

She was assigned as the Associate Project Director for Chandrayaan-3 in 2019 following the unsuccessful Chandrayaan-2 landing attempt. In this conversation she recalls her journey with ISRO from 1999 when she joined as a radar engineer based at Sriharikota.

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Episode 110 – Humanity’s spiritual destiny and the 100 year starship

By Gurbir Dated: November 10, 2023 Leave a Comment

Nasa astronaut Dr Mae Jemison. Credit NASA

NASA has dared and accomplished many “mighty things”. Not a NASA project but to reach the stars in 100 years is just as mighty.

The 100 year starship project aims to get humanity to travel to the stars in one hundred years time. It started in 2012 headed by Dr Mae Jemison the first woman of colour to fly in to space in STS 47 in 1992.

Jason Batt has several eclectic interests he is also the Creative and Editorial Manager for the www.100yss.org project. In a wide ranging discussion in BAKU during the IAC2023, we discussed the role of science fiction, mysticism and spirituality in humanity’s distant future.

Listen (or watch if on youtube) to the end for a clip of Dr Mae Jemison talking about the 100 Year Starship Manifesto. You can see it in its entirety here.

Audio and vido for episode 110 below. Episode 25 has more on science and religion.

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Episode 109 – The Antikythera Mechanism with Prof Xenophon Moussas

By Gurbir Dated: December 16, 2022 Leave a Comment

I first came across the Antikythera Mechanism just over a decade ago. It is still the most incredible artefact from history. It is as out of place in our time as William Shakespeare using an Iphone or Vasco De Gama travelling in a speedboat.

The Antikythera Mechanism is a complex mechanical (clockwork) device that can determine the position of the planets and phases of the Moon and predict when solar and lunar eclipses will occur. Constructed about two thousand years ago, it was discovered in 1901.

The three wooded calendaric machines in the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik

The three calendaric machines, made of wooden gears, from around 1780 in the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik. They are grandchildren of the Antikythera Mechanism. References to Cicero’s text to the Antikythera are available here.

Perhaps the most recent and informative video by published by mathematician Tony Freeth is available on Youtube. A paper published by several active researchers, including Tony Freeth, was published in Nature. Investigation continues today. Underwater research continues today at the shipwreck site. Press release from June 2022. This interview was recorded in July 2022 in Athens during Cospar 2022.

Athens-based Professor Xenophon Moussas has been mesmerised by it since childhood. As a mathematician and a space scientist, he has been involved in using leading technology to reveal its mysteries. He is available for presentations on the Antikythera Mechanism and can be contacted via email xmoussas AT gmail.com.

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Episode 108 – NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission

By Gurbir Dated: November 25, 2022 Leave a Comment

The Europa Clipper mission, due for launch in 2024, will arrive and orbit Jupiter in 2030. The third spacecraft to do so after Galileo (in 1995) and Juno (in 2016). The Pioneer and Voyager missions were flybys. The primary objective, as the mission name suggests, is the investigation of Jupiter’s Moon, Europa. Called Europa-Clipper after the 19th-century merchant ships that shuttled between ports at the high-speed then available.

Europa-Clipper will orbit Jupiter, not Europa. This is one of Jupiter’s moons that shows strong evidence of a sub-surface water ocean. During its four-year mission lifetime it will flyby Europa dozens of times looking for conditions suitable for life.

Dr Steven Vance talks about the mission’s goals and current state of readiness. This was recorded in Athens during Cospar 2022. He was the scientific advisor to the 2013 film Europa Report.

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Episode 107 – SETI’s new tool – Technosignatures

By Gurbir Dated: November 18, 2022 Leave a Comment

The Great Wall of China can be seen from space. Actually, it can’t but the idea that a civilisation could build something large on a planetary scale that could be detected from interstellar distances was articulated first by author Olaf Stapledon in 1937 and popularised by Freeman Dyson in the 1960s. Known today as a Dyson Sphere, it is a megastructure built by an alien intelligence that captures almost all the energy emitted by its star. In this episode, Dr Hector Socas-Navarro explains we humans are not there yet but the increasing density of the Earth’s geosynchronous orbit will become detectable in a couple of centuries.

So not yet a Dyson sphere but a ring or a belt, he calls the Clarke-Exobelt may allow alien civilisations to detect humanity’s presence over interstellar distances. In this episode, we discuss the opportunities for SETI to detect artificial structures like this at interstellar distances using the JWST and very large Earth-based telescopes coming online soon.

Links to the resources we discuss are on the episode webpage

Podcast – Museum of Science and the Cosmos of Tenerife
NASA Technosignatures: “Moderately advanced” technologies in transit. Youtube video
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Museum of Tenerife

Scientific papers

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Episode 106 – ESA’s new science missions

By Gurbir Dated: November 11, 2022 Leave a Comment

European Space Agency’s Dr Paul McNamara was studying low-frequency gravitational waves just before they were discovered in 2015. Now he is the astronomy and astrophysics coordinator for the European Space Agency. In this interview, recorded in Athens during Cospar2022, he speaks about some of the exciting science missions that ESA will be launching later this decade.

These missions include

Juice – JUpiter ICy moons Explorer
Euclid – To explore dark matter and dark energy
Plato – The next-generation planet-hunting mission
Ariel – A UK-led mission to explore the atmospheres of exoplanets

He also talks about ESA’s publicly available resources especially useful to science educators. Planetary Science Archive and ESA Sky. They are available to anyone, in or outside Europe and without charge. Links are available on this episode’s web page.

Dr Paul McNamara

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Episode 105 – Return to Titan – Dragonfly

By Gurbir Dated: November 4, 2022 Leave a Comment

NASA’s Cassini-Huygens lander arrived at Titan on 14th January 2005. The first instrument to make contact with the surface of Titan was a penetrometer made by Ralph Lorenz. Since then he has gone on to write many books and work on several other projects.

In this episode, he speaks about some of those projects, especially Dragonfly, a return mission to land on Titan. This mission, for which he is the mission architect, is like no other. It is not really a lander or rover but a quadcopter that will sample different regions near the landing site during its 3.3-year lifetime. Ralph talks about what we can expect from Dragonfly which launches in 2027 and arrives at Titan in 1934.

The documentary Destination Titan we refer to in this discussion is available here is available on Youtube here.

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Episode 104 – William Leitch. The forgotten Scottish Rocket Pioneer

By Gurbir Dated: October 28, 2022 Leave a Comment

When it comes to the pioneers of rocketry, tradition has it that it was Tsilokosky, Goddard and Oberth. in this episode, author Rob Godwin talks about William Leitch from Scotland. Leitch was writing about the principles of rocket propulsion and space travel in 1861. Decades before Tsiolkovsy. Over the last few years, Rob has been researching Leitch’s story and published a book – William Leitch Presbyterian Scientist & The Concept of Rocket Space Flight 1854-1864

In this interview recorded via Zoom, Rob Godwin recalls how he came across Leitch’s work and the research activity that eventually led him to uncover this remarkable story.

The following 19th-century publications, that Rob refers to are now available online, and pdf versions can be downloaded. Links are available on the episode page

Half hours in air and sky – Contains the essay “A Journey through Space” P143-168
Good Words Magazine
God’s Glory in the Heavens

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Episode 103 -Observing the Solar System with the JWST

By Gurbir Dated: October 21, 2022 Leave a Comment

The James Webb Space Telescope has already wowed astronomers and the general public with some incredibly spectacular deep space images. But did you know, NASA has set aside a substantial number of hours for JWST to observe the objects in the solar system? What’s more that programme kicks in this autumn so some images of planets and their moons along with asteroids and comets will be published before the end of this year.

A team of astronomers including planetary scientist Dr Connor Nixon will make use of the Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) to observe the objects in the solar system from Mars and beyond. JWST cannot look towards the Sun so excludes the Earth, Venus or Mercury. The program is led by Dr. Heidi B. Hammel.

In this interview recorded in July during COSPAR2022 in Athens, Connor Nixon talks about the GTO and his role in it looking at Titan.

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Episode 102 – Martian Geology with Prof Sanjeev Gupta

By Gurbir Dated: October 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

In 1972, Harrison Schmitt became the first (and so far only), scientist to walk on the surface of the Moon. As a practising geologist, he brought a scientific perspective to understanding lunar geology. Since then many scientists have brought their scientific insights to understanding the surfaces of comets, asteroids, the planets in the solar system and their moons.

Professor Sanjeev Gupta is amongst the geologist helping to understand the martian surface today. Not from field trips to the martian surface but from data returned by martian landers, rovers and orbiters. In this interview recorded in July during COSPAR2022 in Athens, he describes his journey from revealing how the United Kingdom became an island to making sense of martian geology.

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Episode 101 UNOOSA – Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

By Gurbir Dated: October 7, 2022 Leave a Comment

Niklas Hedman, the Acting Director of the United Nations Office for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNOOSA) talks about UNOOSA’s ongoing role in facilitating and promoting the peaceful uses of space in Low Earth orbit and beyond.

In this interview recorded in July during COSPAR2022 in Athens, he speaks about the challenges and opportunities of space in the context of

Increasing commercial activities
Mega satellite constellations
Small Satellites
Legally and non-legally binding instruments Planetary Protection

He highlights a few of the many resources available online from UNOOSA’s website including the Space Objects Register, Online Index and Sustainable Development Goals. Video and audio links below

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Episode 100 Sandra Benitez Herrera – ESA Education Outreach

By Gurbir Dated: September 18, 2022 Leave a Comment

Astrophysicist Sandra Benitez-Herrera talks about the opportunities for teachers and students made available by the European Space Agency‘s CESAR (Cooperation through Education in Science and Astronomy Research) program. This episode was recorded in Athens in July during Cospar 2022.

If you are a student or a teacher in Europe or beyond, Sandra explains how you make use of CESAR’s resources – optical, solar and radio telescopes, online seminars, face-to-face training and an enormous quantity of space data from ESA and other space agencies. All in one place and with no charge. She starts with an explanation of what CESAR is – in audio and Youtube video below.

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Episode 99 Professor Stamatios Krimigis – Exploring the Solar System with Voyager

By Gurbir Dated: September 9, 2022 Leave a Comment

This episode was recorded in Athens in July 2022 during Cospar 2022 and he speaks about his remarkable career guided in large part by his mentor, physicist James Van Allen.

He started studying physics at the University of Minnesota in the same month that Sputnik was launched. A chance meeting with James van Allen led Stamatios Krimigis to build instruments for Mariner 3 and 4. Eventually assigned as the Principle Investigator for the charged particle instrument on the voyager program which was initially known as Mariner Jupiter Saturn 77 program.

It is released today to mark his 84th birthday tomorrow on September 10th. Audio and youtube video below.

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Episode 98 Astrophotography with Nik Szymanek

By Gurbir Dated: October 18, 2021 Leave a Comment

Nik Syzamnek is one of the UK’s leading astrophotographers and one who has been doing it for almost four decades.

In this episode, Nik shares his unique perspective on how the hobby of astronomy and especially astrophotography has evolved since the 1980s when he first started.

We cover a lot of ground including modern software used for image processing and telescope control, increasing use of robotic telescopes e.g. Telescope Live by amateurs and the obstacles introduced by Climate Change and the mega-constellations of satellites. We conclude this episode on his lesser-known skills as a drummer in a band.

Books
2005 – Infinity Rising: A Personal View of the Universe
2018 – Co-author of – Spacerocks: A collectors’ guide to meteorites, tektites and impactites
2020 – Shooting Stars – 2nd Edition (AstronomyNow website)

Nik’s images on Flickr.

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A video of this interview is also available here on Youtube and includes many of his images.

As the lock-down begins to end – Nik is getting out and doing some talks live. If you are in the area – catch him live in 2021 here

2nd November: Stour Astronomical Society
17th November; Havering Astronomical Society twitter.com/HaveringSociety

Episode 96 Seti – The search so far with Jill Tarter

By Gurbir Dated: October 1, 2021 Leave a Comment

The Earth is one ordinary planet of many orbiting one typical sun of many in an unremarkable galaxy, the milky way one of the countless numbers in an ever-expanding universe.

Since the beginning of human civilisation, people have looked up at the night sky and wondered – are we alone? Science and technology of the 20^th century has made it possible to try to address that question. So how is are we doing?

What have been the near-misses? How has the search evolved since then what are the current prospects of detecting a signal?

Jill Tarter from @SETIInstitute has worked on a number of major scientific projects, most relating to the search for extraterrestrial life and attempt to answer the question ”Are we alone in the universe. The 1997 Hollywood film ‘Contact’ starring Jodi Foster was largely based on her work.

As the former director of the Seti Institute, she explains when Seti research began, the technology used, how it is funded and the global collaborative international endeavour it has now become.

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A video of the interview on which this episode is based is available on youtube.

Episode 95 European Space Cooperation DeGaulle to ExoMars with Brian Harvey

By Gurbir Dated: September 24, 2021 Leave a Comment

The latest book from author Brian Harvey @BrianHarveyAut1, this is probably the first English language analysis of the individuals, institutions and early space projects that would eventually lead, not just France, but Europe to its status as a leader in designing, building and operating complex space infrastructure.

This is probably the first English language analysis of the individuals, institutions and early space projects that would eventually lead, not just France, but Europe to its status as a leader in designing, building and operating complex space infrastructure.

In the first chapter, “Early Days”, the author refers to John F. Kennedy’s little-known but perhaps most powerful speech on 10 June 1963, Strategy for Peace. Here it would have been interesting to see the author’s assessment on how collaboration in space has cultivated peace on Earth.

In this episode Brian talks about his motivation for writing this book and accessing the complex sources he needed to tell this story.

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A video of this interview is available on Youtube.

Episode 94 Seti – Techniques and Technology with Jill Tarter

By Gurbir Dated: September 17, 2021 Leave a Comment

The systematic search for extraterrestrial intelligence could only begin once the technology was sufficiently mature. That happened in early 1960s. Until then SETI was firmly in the realm of science fiction.

How has the SETI evolved over the last six decades and especially what can modern technology allow today that was not possible then?

Jill Tarter from the @SETIInstitute has worked on a number of major scientific projects, most relating to the search for extraterrestrial life and attempt to answer the question ”Are we alone in the universe. The 1997 Hollywood film ‘Contact’ starring Jodi Foster was largely based on her work.

As the former director of the Seti institute, she explains when Seti research began, the technology used, how it is funded and the global collaborative international endeavour it has now become.

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A video of the interview on which this episode is based is available on Youtube

Episode 93: Exploring the surface of Titan

By Gurbir Dated: January 14, 2021 Leave a Comment

In the early hours of Christmas day 2004, a small probe called Huygens separated from larger spacecraft Cassini. Three weeks later on 14 January it descended through Titan’s atmosphere to make the most distant soft landing in the solar system to date. Huygens transmitted data during its 136 minute descent through the thick atmosphere and a further 130m minutes from the surface until Cassini disappeared below the horizon.

Prof. John Zarnecki was the principal investigator for the UK based team that built the instruments that first made contact on the surface of Titan, Saturn and the solar system’s largest Moon.

In this conversation, recorded in December 2020, prof. Zarnecki recalls the how the mission came about, the science Huygens revealed at the time and today, a decade and a half later. Cassini-Hugens was a joint mission between NASA and ESA. He also shares his views on the value of international collaboration in space.

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A video of this interview is available on Youtube.

Episode 92: Revisiting Panspermia with Prof. Wickramasinghe

By Gurbir Dated: January 1, 2021 Leave a Comment

The idea of Panspermia, that life exists throughout the universe and spreads via asteroids, comets and cosmic dust, has been around for a long time. Two of the strongest advocates were Professor Fred Hoyle and Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe.

In this episode I spoke at length with Professor Wickramasinghe about his long and distinguished career championing the idea of panspermia the covering the topics:

Initial difficulties in establishing Panspermia as a legitimate and respectable topic for scientific study.
Professor Wickramasinghe’s journey in 1960 form Cylon (as it was known at the time) to Cambridge as Hoyle’s Phd student.
His personal recollections of Fred Hoyle (initially his Phd supervisor and later collaborator) and Arthur C Clarke, who had made Cylon his home in the late 1950s.
His views on how the research on Panspermia has developed and where it stands today

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Episode 91 – ISRO and the Spy who was not

By Gurbir Dated: November 15, 2019 Leave a Comment

One of the most fascinating and colourful characters associated with the Indian Space Programme is Narayan Nambi.

In 1994, Nambi Narayanan an ISRO aerospace engineer was falsely arrested by the Investigation Beuro on charges of espionage. He was accused of passing on confidential launch vehicle flight test data to foreign nationals. In 1996 he was cleared by the Central Investigations Bureau and India’s Supreme Court found him not guilty in 1998. In 2019 he was presented with India’s third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.

In 1966 he joined ISRO or INCOSPAR as it was known at that time. With the guidance and support of Vikram Sarabhai, he went to study liquid and cryogenic engine technology at Princeton in 1969. He worked on the early stages of the development of the Vikas liquid engine which now powers two of the four stages of the PSLV.

Some of the topics we discussed include:

During the 1960s he visited the Spadadam site near Carlisle. Today it is a Royal Airforce Station but in the 1960s it was the site used by the British Government test rocket engines and to develop Blue Streak – an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile.
In 1974 ISRO concluded a barter arrangement – no money changed hands. India would provide 100 man-years trained engineers. 75% of this time would towards supporting France developing their (then new) Ariane 1 launcher and 25% would be used by India to develop the Vikas Engine with the technology transfer from France. Indian engineers would also build, test and qualify 100,000 pressure transducers for France.
He claims to be the architect of this unique barter arrangement. In addition to being the father and architect of the PSLV.
He suspects that the intelligence Beuro picked on him to slow down the Cryogenic engine development and remove him as project director.
Speculating on the why the Vikram lander failed to make a soft landing he thinks it may have been related to the automatic landing sequence (software) or an issue with the braking thrusters.
He is an advocate of an Asian Space Agency lead by India.
He believes China space programme is not ahead of India’s because India has succeeded with the Mars Orbiter Mission.
He would like India and China to increase collaboration in space.
In 2017, he published a book on his experiences and a film based on the book will be released in late 2019.

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Episode 90 – An update on ISRO’s activities with S Somanath and R Umamaheshwaran

By Gurbir Dated: October 28, 2019 10 Comments

R Umamaheshwaran (Scientific Secretary) and S Somanath (Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre)

This interview with S Somanath (director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) and R Umamaheshwaran (Scientific Secretary) was recorded on 24th October 2019 during the International Astronautical Congress in Washington DC. It was not focused on a specific theme but rather an update on all things ISRO – current and future activities. We spoke about ISRO’s potential participation with NASA on its Artemis programme, ISRO’s innovative Orbital Platform (repurposing the 4th stage of a PSLV), Human Spaceflight and Gaganyaan, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, Semi Cryogenic engine development, potential new launch site Kulasekharapattan, Chandrayaan-2 and future international collaboration.

The award-winning book mentioned is Integrated Design for Space Transportation System by B.N Suresh and K. Suresh.

The conversation started with India’s bid to be the host for IAC2022. The other candidates were Brazil, Singapore and Azerbaijan. The day after this recording it was announced that the International Astronautical Federation selected Azerbaijan.

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Some of the topics we covered are listed below

India, along with Singapore, Azerbaijan and Brazil were candidate countries to host 2022 IAC. India hosted the IAC 1988 and 2007. This interview was recorded a day before the announcement was made. Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan was selected as the host for 2022.
Potential ISRO participation with NASA’s Artemis programme return to the Moon. Italy and Japan will join NASA. (ISRO remains uncommitted at this stage).
PS4 Orbital Platform – ISRO is making use of the 4th stage of the PSLV to host payload in LEO for several months after it has completed the delivery of the primary payload(s). It will be augmented with RCS and propulsion system to maintain attitude and orbit – potentially indefinitely! Solar panel on the outside will deliver up to 100W. End of mission, the platform will comply with agreed guidelines – to a minimum perigee of 500km if not deorbit.
Gaganyaan – Coming up parachute tests by end of this year, launch abort t(in-flight) test. Uncrewed test flight next year and 2021. Crewed flight to LEO by 2022 is still on target.
Crew selection process is still progressing. Selection criteria require test pilot experience so females will not be part of the first crew. The first flight will consist of a crew of 3. Initially, a team of 4 will go to Russia for astronaut training – a single backup. (Surprising – I would have expected at least 6 for two teams – primary and back up).
Human Spaceflight and Exploration conference in Bangalore, India in January 2020. This mission is to generate public awareness of India’s Gaganyaan programme. Rakesh Sharma and astronauts from other countries will also be present.
Small Satellite Launch vehicle (SSLV) to address the newly developing market for small satellites. Currently, small satellites use rideshare that does not offer customised timing or orbit. Both are determined by the primary payload. The SSLV to only from Sriharikota.
The reference in the Indian (Google translation from original Telegu) press for a proposed new launch site in Kulasekharapattan is not really taken seriously by ISRO. Initially to be launched from Sriharikota but may develop a mobile launcher in the future. Sea launch is not under consideration at the present.
Alternative launch sites may come in the future but currently, Sriharikota’s launch capacity is not being used fully.
ISRO’s first mission to Venus (Shukriyaan) to be launched in 20203. Mass and mission architecture already defined. Aditya-L1 – launch in the second half of 2022. Mars Orbiter Mission 2, architecture not yet finalised – may include lander and rover. No date yet.
Chandrayan-3 – not announced yet but there will be a Chandrayaan-3 and more.
Failure Analysis Committee investigating. ISRO has a fairly good idea from the data on what went wrong. So far – hard landing resulting in spacecraft damage. Why did it happen? The problem is a minor due to “dispersion”? i.e. something was off-nominal but would not say if hardware or software issue? The FAC report will be publically published.
Space station – announced by the ISRO chairman. It will happen but no timeline.
Reusable Launch Vehicle second mission will involve an airdrop and land on a strip at Chitradurga in Karnataka. Target date – December 2019.
Semi cryogenic engine. Engine development in progress with a target date of 2022. Testing and significant progress will take place AFTER the Gaganyaan mission is over.
Next GSLV-Mk3 scheduled for mid-2020 for comsat launches.
Will India use the name “astronaut”? ISRO will conduct something in the way of a public poll and make a formal decision.
Gaganyaan will not be one-off. May go to the Moon, ISS or participate in Artemis. ISRO not ruling out anything.
ISRO continuing to cooperate with Russia, France, ESA, the USA, Collaboration with China is also possible. Two experiments from the Indian Institute of Science will be conducted on the Chinese Space Station. Collaboration with China in science is straight forward but at the agency level – that may come in the future

Episode 89 – Carbon Nanotubes

By Gurbir Dated: October 25, 2019 1 Comment

In his 1979 novel, Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C Clarke imagines a cable stretching from the Earth’s equator to Geosynchronous orbit. He called it a “space elevator” and imagined it would be constructed from continuous pseudo-one-dimensional diamond crystals. Bangalore based NoPo Technologies is now commercially producing Carbon Nanotubes. Could this material, one day be used to construct Clarke’s space elevator?

Materials that offer high strength alongside low mass are highly sought after by the aerospace industry. In the past, it was aluminium, titanium and Carbon fibre. The new wave of materials consists of Graphene and Carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes like diamonds, soot and graphene are allotropes of Carbon. Same atomic structure but differ in physical construction.

NoPo Technologies was established in 2011 by the CEO Gadhadar Reddy and is already commercially supply Carbon Nanotubes to Japan and elsewhere.

Some of the themes we discussed include:

NoPo Technologies was incorporated in 2011 and is probably the only producer of Carbon Nanotubes in India at the present.
Carbon Nanotubes have desirable attributes of high thermal and electrical conductivity, tensile strength, resilience to radiation and are extremely lightweight.
Nopo Technologies commercially produce single-walled Carbon Nanotubes of about 8 nm diameter and 2000 nm long.
Use cases currently include lightning conductors on aircraft, insulators for cryogenic fuel tanks, black surfaces for star trackers on spacecraft and molecular scale filters that can be used for producing biological membranes or even water filters for desalination plants.

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NOPO Offices in Bangalore
Electron Microscope
Carbon Nanotubes
Anto assessing a new batch of Carbon Nanotubes
Manufacturing vessel
Raman Specrometer

Episode 88 – India’s Private Space Sector

By Gurbir Dated: October 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

No country has exploited space for social and economic benefits more than India. It has always been a government-run operation, until now.

As in other nations, the private space sector is emerging in India. One name that pops up when discussing private and commercial space in India is Narayanan Prasad. He has been instrumental in forging platforms where all stakeholders from the New Space Community can support each other and share views, opinions and news. The platforms include Whatsapp, Blog, Telegram and a New Space India Podcast.

In this episode, he recalls his journey so far and his part in his own start-up Satsearch.co as its COO. Here are some of the key takeaways from this interview

Most private sector players build products designed by ISRO under licence from ISRO. Private Space Sector in India is subject to excessive government bureaucracy preventing engagement from private investigators.
An independent regulator is needed. Independent regulator in telecommunication opened up the market for private telephone lines. An independent regulator for the private space sector is essential for this market to flourish.
NASA has created the Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) to engage the private space sector companies. India does not have anything equivalent.
This year ISRO established the New Space India Limited (NSIL). It was established to limit the potential impact of the Antrix/Devas case.
Policies exist in India for Communication and Remote Sensing but no overall policy for Space – yet. Although a draft Space bill was published in 2017 for comment. That bill drew a distinction between companies that work with ISRO and those outside ISRO.
Two of many space startups in India include
- Bellatrix Aerospace produces Ion engines for in-orbit spacecraft propulsion. Ion propulsion and reduce the spacecraft weight and extend the operational lifetime by about 60%
- NoPo technologies are the only producer of Carbon Nanotubes in India. Like Graphene, Carbon Nanotube is an allotrope of Carbon. The unique properties include high tensile strength, electric and thermal conductivities.
Satsearch.co – now 3.5 years old based in the Netherlands and managed by a distributed team based in Germany, Netherlands, Italy and England. Had it been based in India – it may have been subject to restrictions e.g queries coming in from Suparco in Pakistan.
As with any new emerging industry – most of the current space startups will cease to exist within 5-7 years from now.

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Episode 87 – Apollo Era recollections of a Brit working in NASA

By Gurbir Dated: July 12, 2019 Leave a Comment

David Baker has been involved with the USA since childhood. First attending a US school in England and then studying in the US under a scholarship program sponsored by Senator Clinton P Anderson. He returned to the USA and worked for NASA on various programs from Gemini to the SpaceShuttle. After leaving NASA, he set up one of the earliest private space sector companies in London.

(Note – following questions on the veracity of his Phd, David Baker resigned from the BIS as the editor of Spaceflight on 25th March 2021.)

Today he is the editor of the British Interplanetary Society’s monthly journal – Spaceflight and a prolific author of space books. Some of the topics we spoke about include

Early interest in space and astronomy stimulated by milestones such as breaking of the sound barrier, Sputnik and Gagarin’s flight.
Completed his PhD in Earth and Planetary physics.
Worked for Nasa between 1965 and 1984. Mainly in the mission
Setup a consultancy in 1984 to bring US launch and satellites services to the wider international community.
Setup a consultancy in 1984 to bring US launch and satellites services to the wider international community
Delayed the launch of STS-41B in February 1984 carrying payloads for Indonesia and Western Union but problems with the payload Assist Modules did not meet the insurance certification requirements.
Was involved in the purchase by India its 4 INSAT satellites (INSAT 1A-1D) from Ford Aerospace in the USA.
Published over 110 books and more in the pipeline to mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

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Episode 86 – Moon: Art, Science, Culture

By Gurbir Dated: June 28, 2019 Leave a Comment

The 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing was a momentous event and expected to be marked by numerous publications. Most books cover the technologies, events, personal recollections and politics of the first human voyage to another world. One book jointly authored by an art historian and an astronomer has a fresh perspective.

The guests in this episode are the authors of the book Moon: Art, Science, Culture – Dr Alexandra Loske Associate Tutor in Art History, University of Sussex and Dr Robert Massey Deputy Executive Director Royal Astronomical Society.

The book is attracting an interesting eclectic mix of readers with an interest in science and art. Some of the topics we spoke about include

Fritz Lang’s 1929 sci-fi movie (watch full-length movie on Youtube here) Frau im Mond.
The book has a chapter about the Nebra Sky Disk and we also discussed the Antikythera Mechanism.
One of the earliest books with a picture of the Moon, called The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite (link offers free download) written in 1874 by James Nasmyth and James Carpenter. Here is an interesting review of it from Dr Stephanie O’Rourke from the University of St Andrews.
The Bluedot Festival at Jodrell bank starts on Friday 19th July

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Embed video if there is one

Episode 85 – Russia’s Space programme with Brian Harvey

By Gurbir Dated: April 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Brian Harvey is a Dublin based writer who has authored more than 14 books on space. His books have covered the space programmes of USSR/Russia, USA, India, Japan and China. He has a deep understanding of the motivations and politics as well as the space technology that has emerged since the space age. In this episode, we speak about Russia/USSR’s space programme what it was at the outset and its status today.

Some of the topics we discuss include

Russian rocket engines still the best in the world.
The first factory to build rocket engines for spacecraft was established in Leningrad in 1927.
Age profile in Russian space programme – not enough younger people. Compared to the programme in China which is largely less than 40.
In 1935 Konstantin Tsiolkovsky invited as a guest of honour at the mayday speech “I believe the first person in space is alive today”. This was in 1935 when Yuri Gagarin was one year old.
There were several reasons for the failure for the USSR not get a crewed mission to the Moon. The main one was the lack of programme management.
With 39 launches in 2018, China was the leader. Until a few years ago Russia was the world leader of launches. Russia’s planned 45 launches in 2019 is not realistic.
China, India and Japan were on par about a decade ago but China has now emerged with a “superpower” status. India has made progress in the number of annual launches, science missions and recently announced its plans to initiate a human space program.
We discussed the movie Salyut 7 the movie. This is the space station that Rakesh Sharma had visited in 1984.
Russia space programme, minimal new investment, an ageing workforce, reliability and quality control on a decline.

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Episode 84: NASA after the Shuttle. SLS and The Gateway

By Gurbir Dated: April 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

David Baker has been involved with the USA since childhood. First attending a US school in England and then studying in the US under a scholarship program sponsored by Senator Clinton P Anderson. He returned to the USA and worked for NASA on various programs from Gemini to the SpaceShuttle. He was present in mission control in 1970 and witnessed the drama of Apollo 13 first hand.

He joined the British Interplanetary Society in 1965, published his first article in the society’s journal Spaceflight in 1969 and since 2011 has been the editor of that very journal -Spaceflight. To date, he has published a remarkable 110 books by the close of 2018 with a few more in the pipeline for 2019 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 11.

(Note – following questions on the veracity of his Phd, David Baker resigned from the BIS as the editor of Spaceflight on 25th March 2021.)

In this episode, we talk about the current status of the space programme in the US and the changing role of NASA.

The USA has not been able to launch US astronauts from the USA since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011. NASA found itself in a similar position between 1975 (Apollo Soyuz Test programme) and the first Space Shuttle in 1981.
Why NASA dropped the Ares programme and why its replacement, the Space Launch System (SLS) schedule remains unclear. The first SLS mission, uncrewed – Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) by 2020 and the second crewed mission, Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) by 2023.
The successor to the ISS, the “Gateway” is an international project for a space station in lunar orbit. Only about a third of the size of the ISS and it will have fewer international partners.
The gateway is seen by Russia as an American lead programme. Will Russia participate with the gateway or consider a joint Russia/China human spaceflight programme?
China/USA cooperation in space has been prohibited ny US law. What prospects that this will change?

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Episode 83: India’s Human Spaceflight Programme with R Umamaheswaran

By Gurbir Dated: January 18, 2019 Leave a Comment

R Umamaheswaren was born in 1963, the same year that India initiated its space programme with the first-ever launch of a rocket into space from Indian soil. He is currently serving as the Scientific Secretary to the chairman. This was recorded at the IAC2018 (so a little noisy background). Audio and video available below.

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He first joined ISRO in 1987 as an avionics and communications engineer at the VSSC and has held several posts including

Deputy director for the GSLV launch vehicle
Mission director for 3 GSLV launches
GSLV Mk3 to launch in November 2018 with high throughput satellites GSAT-29 to support the Digital India programme. A total of 100GBPS will be available from space once the other two satellites are launched.

Dr. Lalitambika. Directeor of ISRO Human Spaceflight Programe. Credit TEDX
Pad Abort Test. Credit ISRO
Pad Abort Test. Credit ISRO
Pad Abort Test. Credit ISRO

Fundamental system and engineering challenges have been addressed and India is ready for human spaceflight. ISRO conducted a Pad Abort Test on 5th July 2018 – Youtube video here. Currently, the roadmap looks like this

Crew selection – discussion underway.
Two uncrewed missions will take place – no animals required. Sensors and instruments will be sufficient.
Astronaut training – under discussion. Astronaut training support will be required from a third country – yet to be announced.
Not necessary for potential applicants to be test pilots.
Prospect for a female to be part of the first crew is “very high”.
First uncrewed flight start in late 2020.
A longer vision for Human Spaceflight – priorities not yet defined.

Episode 82: Jaxa and International Collaboration with Professor Fujimoto Masaki

By Gurbir Dated: January 4, 2019 2 Comments

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was founded in 2003 by the merger of three existing organisations and has an annual budget of around two billion USD. It has a remit for research and development of technology, space exploration and supporting human spaceflight aboard the ISS through collaboration with the European Space Agency. This episode is available in audio and video below.

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In 2003 JAXA launched Hayabusa-1 to explore the asteroid Itokawa. It arrived at Itokawa in 2005 and returned to the Earth with a tiny sample in 2010. In 2014, Jaxa launched Hayabusa-2 to explore asteroid Ryugu. Hayabusa2 arrived ta Ryugu on 27 June 2018 and will remain in Ryugu orbit until 2019. It will collect 3 discrete samples (between 0.1g and 1g in each case), store them in separate sealed containers on board for return to Earth in December 2020 in the Woomera test range in Australia.

All four rovers. Credit ESA
Hayabusu 2 and Ryugu. Credit ESA
silhouette of Hayabusa2 on Ryugu. Credit JAXA

Hyabusa2 has four rovers.

MINERVA-II-1 contains two rovers, Rover-1A and Rover-1B was deployed on 21 September 2018.
Mascot – a rover developed by the German and French space agencies. Deployed on 3rd October 2018.
The MINERVA-II-2 contains ROVER-2, a payload developed by several universities in Japan. Planned for deployment in July 2019.

JAXA is also considering

1 The launch of the world’s smallest lunar lander intended to be launched on NASA’s Space Launch Systems in the 2020s.
Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) will demonstrate the technology of precision landing.
Selene-R – a tentative joint JAXA/ISRO Moon mission to soft-land a rover on the Moon. Jaxa would supply the rover and ISRO the lander.
MMX – Martian Moons Exploration. A martian sample return mission. Only possible with international collaboration (US, France, Germany). To be launched around the 2024 timeline. Following a period of 3-years at Mars, it will return to Earth with a sample from Phobos in 2029.

Prof. Fujimoto Masaki. Credit Author

Episode 81: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

By Gurbir Dated: December 14, 2018 Leave a Comment

Simonetta Di Pippo. Director United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Credit: Author

Ensuring the peaceful uses of outer space has been the primary objectives of the United Nations through the Outer Space treaty established in 1968. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) achieves this by promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. This interview with UNOOSA director Simonetta Di Pippo was recorded at IAC 2018. Some parts may be a little noisy. An audio and video of this episode are available below.

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UNOOSA serves as the secretariat for the General Assembly’s only committee dealing exclusively with international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space: the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

UNOOSA Projects. Credit UNOOSA
UN GNSS. Credit UNOOSA
Credit UNOOSA

Some of the highlights include:

UNOOSA is responsible for maintaining the public register of all space objects ever launched to Earth orbit and beyond.
United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) is a flagship programme established in 2006. UN-Spider has access to multiple space agencies to acquire historical and current satellite images to help with emergency disaster management from wherever they arise – Earthquakes, flooding, Forrest Fires and threats from outer space including Space weather and near-Earth Asteroids.
Outer Space Treaty is a “masterpiece”. UN operates through a mechanism of consensus. It is this consensus why the Outer Space Treaty is so resilient. Still operational and relevant more than fifty years after it was founded. It remains coherent and powerful and will remain so through the coming phase of commercial space operations.
UNOOSA acts as a broker to promote International Collaboration. Japanese Space Agency promoting small satellites projects from developing nations and university student projects and thus fostering the development of National Space Agencies around the world (currently about 70 countries). The Japanese Space Agency, Jaxa is helping new countries such as Kenya, Hungary, UAE, Guatemala, Mauritius and Indonesia to have some level of space presence .
UNOOSA supported China National Space Agency’s Announcement of Opportunity to host payloads on the China Space Station. A total of 36 proposals were received for payloads aboard CSS. A selection process is now underway.
As a separate announcement, CNSA announced that China will host Pakistan’s first astronaut aboard the CSS by 2022. Although Pakistan’s Space Agency SUPARCO has not yet mentioned it on its website.

Simonetta Di Pippo. Director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

Episode 80 – S Somnath Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

By Gurbir Dated: November 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

S Somnath. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Credit. Author

S. Somnath joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala in 1985 and today he is its director. With more than three decades at ISRO he has held several key posts including director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. This episode is available in audio and video below.

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This interview was recorded on 5th October 2018 in Bremen germany during the IAC2018., so is a little noisy in parts.

ISRO delegation at IAC2018. Credit IAC2018
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Credit ISRO
ISRO Stand at IAC 2018. Credit Author

Some highlights include

Satish Dhawan – Brought a new vision and restructured ISRO at the organisation level. He consolidated and integrated specialist centres throughout India to the national organisational structure that exists today.
Only solid propellants are manufactured on site at Sriharikota. Liquid and cryogenic propellants are transported over a journey of a day and a half from ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Centre to Sriharikota. Currently, only roads are used but sea transport may be an option in the future.
The heavy lift GSLV Mk3 second development flight is scheduled to launch before the end of 2018. A target of three successful development flights is required before GSLV Mk3 is designated as operational.
Currently, Sriharikota launch capacity of 12 to 18 launches per year, is determined by the capacity of industry to manufacture launch vehicles. The private sector has all the technological competencies but lacks the capacity.
An additional launch site would not be of value at this time. Once the private sector capacity increases – within the next 2 to 3 years, then additional launch sites would be of use.
VSSC played a key role in developing the technologies required for the Human Space Flight programme. The Pad Abort Test was successful. The parachute detached at the planned time and not prematurely as it looks in the video.

S Somnath. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Episode 79: satsearch.co – A single digital marketplace for the global space supply chain?

By Gurbir Dated: November 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

Satsearch co-founders – Kartik Kumar, Alberto Vaccarella and Narayan Prasad

A space startup based in The Netherlands – www.satsearch.co is attempting to establish a single digital global marketplace for space components, products and services. Ultimately, Satsearch’s goal is to reduce cost and time by helping customers for and suppliers of space components, products and services find each other online. This episode available in audio and video below.

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The Satsearch website/portal is hosted on a cloud-based environment (Amazon Web Services) and is only available in English but other languages are in the pipeline. Currently, the service to both suppliers and customers is free of charge. How it will make money in the future is not yet year clear but the current focus is on growth. The founders hope to develop Satsearch into a sort of “yellow pages” for space products and services but with a richer vendor-neutral metadata interface supported by modern AI tools and applications.

Episode 77: Satellite tracking – the early days

By Gurbir Dated: July 13, 2018 Leave a Comment

Sven Grahn has been working in the space field in one way or another for over fifty years. Officially retired, he continues to work as a project leader of a student satellite at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

He is perhaps best known for his work in tracking satellites launched by the secretive Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s.In those pre-internet days, his work along with others helped to identify individual mission characteristics such as mission types, members of the crew, take off and landing times. He recorded over 1000 conversations from orbiting spacecraft as they flew over Sweden.

In this interview, he speaks about

The impact of the space race on his choice of career
His work on sounding rockets and meteorology in Sweden and beyond
Satellite tracking. What he tracked, heard and recorded using radio and tape recorders.
How he came to research and write about the satellite tracking conducted at Jodrell Bank radio telescope in England

As an 11-year-old, Sven had seen Sputnik in the sky over Sweden with his own eyes. I started by asking him how the onset of the space race had impacted his choice of career?

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Episode 76: Space law

By Gurbir Dated: June 23, 2018 Leave a Comment

One of the earliest characteristics of human civilisation (large populations living together in organised cities) was the creation of rules or laws that everyone who lived there agreed to abide by.

The 50th anniversary of first humans to visit the Moon is celebrated later this year. In 1968 it was pretty much just two countries and a few space missions per year. Today, over 70 countries have something in the way of a space programme and along with a blossoming private space sector, space is likely to become very busy in the next decade or so. This surge of space activity will determine how the laws in space will apply and begin to set the scene for human civilisation beyond Earth. On earth, most nations follow international laws most of the time.

International rules for operating in space were defined by the UN in five treaties established between 1967 – 1984.

1967 – The Outer Space Treaty: Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
1968 – Rescue Agreement. Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space.
1972 – The Liability agreement. Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects.
1976 – The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space.
1984 – The Moon Treaty. Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.

How will these laws fair in space? For example, will all governments

“authorise and supervise” their “non-governmental entities” in space?
comply with international liabilities for physical damages caused by their space objects?
agree on who can build what and where on the Moon?
establish mining and ownership rights to materials on the Moon and other celestial bodies?
maintain the principles of human rights in space.

These are some of the questions I discuss with Bayar Goswami, a Doctoral student at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University (IASL) in Canada. A TedX speaker, Bayar has an interest in space as well as law and I started by asking him what came first.

The distinction between terms, such as signed, ratified and accessioned, is described here. A status of which nations have signed which treaty is maintained by the UN here. A summary of the five treaties is available here.

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Episode 75: China -back to the Moon with Chang’ E 4

By Gurbir Dated: June 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

One mission two spacecraft, China is going back to the Moon with Chang’E 4 mission that I think is the most exciting lunar mission since the 1970s. By the end of 2018, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) will launch Chang’E 4 that will explore the far side of the Moon with a lander and a rover. Since it is on the other side of the Moon, it will be totally out of sight from the Earth. To facilitate communication, a relay satellite will be launched in advance of the lander/rover’s arrival at the Moon.

In addition to engaging private sector companies in China, Chang’E 4 will include a significant level of international collaboration in this mission with payloads from Germany, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Sweden.

Ye Quan-Zhi is a postdoc astronomer who specialises in small bodies in the solar system. Like me, he started off as an amateur astronomer but now uses telescopes with apertures measured in meters rather than inches! In addition to his research, he writes about space in the Planetary Society’s blog. As a Chinese national, Quan-Zhi has an interest and an insight into the Chinese Space Programme and in this episode, we spoke about the upcoming Chang’ E 4 mission and the prospects of collaboration between India and China in space.

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Change’ E 4 Mission – An overview

Relay Satellite
Named as “Queqiao” or magpie bridge will be launched in May 2018 and placed in the Earth/Moon L2 orbit (also known as a halo orbit) about 60,000km from the Moon (450,000 km from the Earth) in the opposite direction of the Earth. From there it will always have a line of sight of the far side of the Moon and Earth at the same time. Its primary purpose is to act as a relay providing all the communications from the Lander/Rover that will land on the Moon in late 2018 or early 2019.

The two microsatellites from the Netherlands are called “Longjiang-1″ and “Longjiang-2”. The will enter an elliptical lunar orbit and conduct low-frequency radio astronomy experiments.

Lander & Rover
Due for launch in December 2018 or early 2019

The lander and rover are the backup lander and rover to the highly successful 2013 Chang’E 3 mission. Whilst identical in most respects, lessons learnt from Chang’E 3 have been incorporated in modifications to Chang’E 4.

Lander
• Landing Camera (LCAM)
• Terrain Camera (TCAM)
• Low-Frequency Spectrometer (LFS) to investigate radiation burst from the sun and cosmos.
• Lunar Lander Neutrons and Dosimetry (LND), a neutron detector from the University of Kiel University in Germany
• A mini “lunar biosphere” experiment designed by 28 Chinese universities consisting of a 0.8 litre capacity enclosure weighing 3 kilograms. The biosphere contains silkworm eggs, and seeds fro cress and potatoes. Once on the lunar surface, this mini biosphere will maintain a humidity and temperature (1 to 30 degrees centigrade) whilst the lunar surface temperature varies from +100 to -100 degrees centigrade. A HD camera will live stream from the lunar surface the hatching eggs and sprouting seeds during the first two weeks of the mission.

Rover
• Panoramic Camera (PCAM)
• Ground penetrating radar (LPR) to investigate the lunar crust and mantle
• Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS), for imaging spectroscopy
• Advanced Small Analyser for Neutrals (ASAN), to investigate how solar particles interacts with the lunar surface.

Episode 74: Space Debris and Sustainable use of Space

By Gurbir Dated: May 18, 2018 Leave a Comment

Space, as the author Douglas Adams said “is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is”. After 6 decades of launching spacecraft, some orbits are now congested with space debris from collisions and poor end-of-life mission management. This has now become a serious hazard and even a danger to operational spacecraft. With plans to launch thousands of additional satellites, the Mega Constellations, in the coming decade, the need for some sort form of “traffic management” in orbit has never been greater.

The Secure World Foundation was established in 2002 by philanthropists Marcell Arsenault and his wife Cynda Collins Arsenault. It’s vision of “sustainable and peaceful uses of outer space contributing to global stability and benefits on Earth” is timely. In the last decade, the urgency to address the profound impact of climate change on Earth has finally been (almost) heeded, the next decade will focus on space. The SWF is informing and leading this debate.

Dr Brian Weeden is the Director of Program Planning for Secure World Foundation. In the past, his responsibilities included intercontinental ballistic missile(IBM) operations, worked at Cheyenne Mountain and Vandenberg Airforce Base and specialised in Space Situational Awareness in the US Air Force and Strategic Command’s Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC). In this episode, he talks about the key issues of space debris, preventing, militarisation of space, raising awareness of cyber threats to spacecraft, developing resources for the many nations that are now developing a space programme, fostering standards and policies for commercial uses of space.

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The SWF produces some very interesting and readable resources. A selection below

PDF – Weapons and Conflict in Space: History, Reality, and The Future. A really good primary from Brian Weeden and others

PDF – Handbook for new actors in space

PDF – Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment

PDF – Tomorrow’s Battlefield: Emerging Areas of Military Competition – Space,

PDF – Weapons and Conflict in Space: History, Reality, and The Future

MP3 – Big Data, Big Space, Big Risk: Addressing Cyber Security Threats

PDF – Preparing For a “Normalized” Space Domain – Secure World Foundation

Episode 73: Using Commercial Of the Shelf (COTs) Components to build spacecraft

By Gurbir Dated: May 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

If you follow this podcast, you will notice a very long pause since the previous episode. I have been busy writing my second book, the Indian Space Programme which is now finally complete. So I am now back to my familiar but irregular podcasting mode.

The growth in the space sector now widely estimated to be worth annually over 300 billion USD globally. It is primarily being driven by the commercial sector. The bulk of the expenditure is in satellite television, communication services, Earth observation and businesses enabled by global navigation. In the past, it was technological development driven by the national space programmes that triggered the development of low-cost consumer products. Today it’s the other way round. Sophisticated manufacturing methods and high public demand for digital products have produced low-cost consumer devices which without too much modification can be qualified for use in space. This is particularly true in the sudden growth of the small satellite market.

In this episode, I speak with Dr Rajan Bedi the founder and CEO of Spacechips, a UK based company offering CEO of Spacechips Ltd, which provides industrial R&D and space electronics design consultancy and training services to manufacturers of satellites and spacecraft around the world. I was intrigued by Rajan’s 2017 blog post entitled “Using and selecting COTS components for space application”. In this episode, I want to understand to what extent spacecraft manufacturers can buy components for spacecraft from the high street.

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Episode 72: Satish Dhawan Space Centre

By Gurbir Dated: June 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

ep72 — From left to right. V. Seshagiri Rao Associate director, Dr M.Y.S. Prasad SDSC director, Dr S.V. Subba Rao Deputy Director

Located about 80km from Chennai on India’s east coast, Satish Dhawan Space centre is used by ISRO to launch all of its satellites including those to the Moon and Mars. Also known as Sriharikota, it was established during the late 1960s but today it has a vehicle assembly building, two launch pads and a state of the art mission control centre.

In this episode, Dr MYS Prasad, the director at Satish Dhawan Space Centre describes the key services and activities that take place at India’s 21st century rocket launch complex. This interview was recorded in January 2014 and Dr Prasad stood down as director on 31st May 2015.

Audio

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Episode 71: TATA Institute for Fundamental Research

By Gurbir Dated: May 25, 2015 Leave a Comment

Homi Bhabha 1909 - 1966 — Homi Bhabha 1909 – 1966

The Indian Space Program was initiated by a brilliant nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha who pretty much immediately handed over the space program to Vikram Sarabhai. Bhabha himself pursued the goal of establishing premier scientific institutions for fundamental research in India. At the time he regarded scientific institutions to be critical for the new emerging independent India. Whilst working in the Indian Institute of Science, in 1945 he came up with the idea of an institution for fundamental research and went on to establish the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) which continues to operate today.

Although separate organisations, the connection between ISRO and TIFR remains strong to this day. Many of the instruments and subsystem onboard ISRO’s satellites are designed and constructed within TIFR. In this episode, the former director of TIFR, Professor Mustansir Barma talks about Homi Bhabha, his achievements in physics and the role of the TIFR in modern India.

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Episode 70: India’s Deep Space Network and ISRO Satellite Centre

By Gurbir Dated: April 30, 2015 Leave a Comment

Indian Deep Space Network India’s space program is now over half a century old. During this time its Infrastructure has evolved. This episode looks at the current communication capabilities used to support space vehicles during launch, in Earth orbit or on a interplanetary missions.

ISRO has an extensive network of ground stations on the Indian mainland, off-shore and neighbouring countries (Mauritius and Fiji) and collaborates with Norway, Russia, USA and European countries for mission specific needs. ISRO also has ship borne resources it deploys to meet individual mission profiles.

ISRO Dish1 copy ‘s flagship deep space antenna is the 32m fully steerable dish at Byalalu close to Bangalore. It was established for the 2008 Moon mission and has been the primary resource for communicating with its Mars Orbiter Mission. Byalalu is also the central site for India’s Regional Navigation Satellite System IRNSS due to come in to full operation in 2016.

This conversation was recorded in March 2014 with the then director of the ISRO Satellite Centre SK Shivakumar who had been project leader that established the 32m antenna.

Audio

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Episode 69: Mars Orbiter Mission

By Gurbir Dated: November 18, 2014 Leave a Comment

Dr Mylswamy Annadurai is the program director for the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) launched in 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation. He served as the program director for the 2008 Chandrayaan-I mission to the Moon and is continuing that role for the Chandrayaan-2 currently in development.

ISRO This interview was recorded in his office at the ISRO’s Satellite Centre in Bangalore on 26th March 2014 after MOM had been launched but before it had arrived at Mars.

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Episode 67: Technik Museum Speyer

By Gurbir Dated: February 3, 2014 Leave a Comment

This episode is a preview of some of the space related exhibits in Europe’s largest aerospace museum – Speyer Technik Museum, in Germany. If you ever go and the following may entice you to do so, four space exhibits to look out for include the following:

Soyuz TM19 – The landing capsule Soyuz TM-19 was used by the German astronaut Ulf Merbold to return to Earth on 4th November 1994 following his launch in Soyuz TM-20 on 3rd October 1994.

Buran – The Soviet Space shuttle Buran was a the Soviet response to the American Space Shuttle. Two complete working vehicles were made. The Buran was unmanned and, although reusable, was never actually reused. One made a single flight to space and was later destroyed when the hangar housing it collapsed. The other made 25 test flights also unmanned but only in Earth atmosphere. Following an unexpected find in the Persian Gulf by German journalists, it was brought to Speyer in 2008.

Bor-5 – To assist the Soviets’ design of the Buran they built and flew BOR-5 – a 1:8 scale model of the Buran. Bor-5 made five unmanned sub-orbital test flights between 1984 and 1988.

Moon rock – One of the largest pieces of Moonrock I have seen on public display. It is from Apollo 15 mission but was unveiled at the Museum in June 2013 by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan.

If you do go, it is is a big place – one day is not enough!

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Episode 66: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

By Gurbir Dated: December 5, 2013 Leave a Comment

November 21st 2013 was the 50th anniversary of a rocket launched from India in to space. The launch itself was an all Indian affair but with lots of international support. The rocket was American, carried a French Sodium Vapour payload with assisted by a computer and a helicopter from the Soviet Union. From this meagre beginning, India has become a key player not only in building and launching rockets but also designing , building and deploying satellites.

This episode was recorded on the site of that first launch. Then known as the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station and is today known as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Sundaram Ramakrishnan, the current director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) talks about his 4 decade long career with the Indian Space Research Organisation. He has has played a central role throughout the development of India’s most reliable launcher – the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

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Episode 65: ISRO – The early years

By Gurbir Dated: December 5, 2013 1 Comment

The Indian Space Research Organisation formally came in to being in 1972. By then, India had been developing its space program for almost a decade. The first launch to space from Indian soil was a two stage Nike-Apache rocket supplied by USA with a sodium payload from France. The rocket delivered a vertical trail of sodium vapour in space above the twilight sky of the south eastern coast of Kerala on 21st November 1963.

In this episode, professor UR Rao talks about his rich and diverse career. Professor Rao completed his Phd under Dr Vikram Sarabhai, then went on to work for NASA at MIT and in Texas exploring the Solar System with instruments on NASA’s Pioneer and Explorer spacecraft. He returned to India at Sarabhai’s request and after heading up the Physical Research Laboratory, in 1984 became the chairman of the Indian Space Research organisation. He served in that role until 1994.

During his 81 years, he has participated in many significant areas in space and science exploration. Several key individuals associated with space and science research including CV Raman, Robert Millikan, Ed Stone, Arthur Clark, James Van Allen , Abdus Salam and Vikram Sarabhai were individual he knew personally and some were colleagues.

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Episode 64: Bangalore Astronomical Society

By Gurbir Dated: November 17, 2013 Leave a Comment

Coorg Star Party Mar 2011 — BAS Coorg Start Party 27 Mar 2011 Photo credit- BAS

Another episode in the current series about space and India. Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS) is probably the most industrious astronomical societies in India. Founded in 2006, it has nearly 200 paid up members based in and around Bangalore but a huge number of national and international followers online.

In this episode, BAS president Naveen Nanjundappa, describes BAS‘s origins, achievements and future goals.

I have added a few links below – if you have others worth sharing please submit via a comment.

Google Group is the primary online platform but BAS has a presence on Events Announcement Group, Orkut Community, Facebook Group and of course Twitter.

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Episode 63: Rakesh Sharma India’s first and only spaceman

By Gurbir Dated: November 3, 2013 8 Comments

With a population of 1.2 billion people, India has just one national with first hand experience of spaceflight. Rakesh Sharma, a now retired Indian Air Force wing commander in 1984 spent eight days in space aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7. This account of his spaceflight was recorded at this home in the Nilgris region of India in August 2013.

MP3 audio below and Youtube video below that

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Episode 62: Vikram Sarabhai

By Gurbir Dated: October 30, 2013 1 Comment

Vikram Sarabhai is unanimously accepted across India as the “father” of its space program. Not really known well outside India, he died suddenly and prematurely at age of 52 in 1971. He had studied cosmic ray physics and gained his PHD from Cambridge in 1947 the same year India became an independent nation. He spent the rest of his life implementing a vision that the prosperity of India and all of its people lay in science. The scientific institutions he built still play key role in India today. Convincing the Indian population that they had the intellectual capacity to rebuild India with their own hands is perhaps his lasting legacy.

The most scholarly biography on his eventful life is Vikram Sarabhai – A life by Amrita Shah. A review of the book is available here. This episode is a recording with Amrita Shah conducted fittingly at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, where Vikram Sarabhai studied physics under C V Raman who in 1930 had won the Nobel Prize for physics.

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Episode 61: Reg Turnill on Wernher von Braun

By Gurbir Dated: February 15, 2013 2 Comments

Reg Turnill wit von Braun — Reg Turnill with Wernher von Braun 1977

Like so many in the “space community” I was saddened to hear of the passing of Reg Turnill. He was the BBC’s aerospace correspondent but is best known for covering the American Space program throughout the 60s and 70s that he documents so well in his book Moonlandings: An eye witness account.

He was the BBC’s representative in Moscow at Gagarin’s post flight press conference and told me in episode 41 of his experience when I went to meet him in January 2011.

Reg captures the ambiguity of the brilliant Wernher von Braun who he got to know so well that he called him a friend and yet believed that he was a war criminal and should have been hanged.

In this 30 minute podcast , the first a six minutes is telephone conversation recorded on 3^rd November 2011 followed by extracts from his talk at the UK Space Conference 5^th July 2011 “The von Braun that I knew”. Reg shares three of his audio interviews with von Braun, the audio quality of the 2^nd and 3^rd is better than the first.

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Episode 60: Square Kilometre Array

By Gurbir Dated: January 9, 2013 1 Comment

Square Kilometer Array - artist's impression — Artists impression – from http://www.skatelescope.org/

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global science and engineering project to build a revolutionary new radio telescope with extraordinary scientific ambitions.

With funding from ten nations the building of the SKA will start in 2016 and be fully operational in 2024. It will tackle some of the profoundest questions of cosmology associated with organic molecules, gravitational waves, pulsars orbiting black holes and light from the earliest stars that illuminated the universe. To do this the SKA will require super computers, innovative new power stations and high speed communication links that currently do not exist.

This interview with Professor Michael Kramer was recorded in March 2012 at the National Astronomy Meeting in the University Manchester two months prior to the announcement that the Square Kilometre Array will be built in South Africa along with Australia & New Zealand.

Professor Kramer from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany that manages the 100m Effelsberg Radio Telescope is a former associate director at Jodrell Bank and still professor there, talks about the technical, political and economic concerns associated with the SKA project.

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Episode 59: Astrophotograpy

By Gurbir Dated: December 31, 2012 Leave a Comment

If you have ever been to London and used the underground Tube service, it may well have been driven by the speaker in this episode. That is his day job but Nik Szymanek is one of Britain’s best known astrophotographers.

This interview was recorded during National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Manchester in 2012. Nik collaborates with Ian King and in this episode discusses how he got started, issues to consider for those moving in to astrophotograpy and how things have changed in this developing field. He also talks about another growing area of interest to amateur astronomers – a personal remote telescope.

David Ratledge another accomplished astrophotographer based in the north west of England has some very useful links for astrophotography on his website http://www.deep-sky.co.uk/links.htm.

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Episode 58: Astronauts Joe Engle and Ron Garan

By Gurbir Dated: October 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

The first interview in this episode is with astronaut Joe Engle was recorded during his visit to the UK in 2008. Joe Engle was at the front of the queue to go to the Moon when NASA cut its Apollo program. His place was taken by the geologist Harrison Schmitt on Apollo 17 – the last manned mission to the Moon. In this interview Joe talk about his work before and after Apollo – on the X-15 and Space Shuttle programs.

The second short interview with astronaut Ron Garan was recorded at TedXSalford in January 2012 (unfortunately the recording stopped prematurely). You can see more about the online community offering a “unique orbital perspective of men and women who live and work in Space” online at Fragile Oasis.

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You can see the video of his talk on this link http://youtu.be/lJNbjSLvtpI

Episode 57: 15 October 2012 – Cassini Huygens Mission

By Gurbir Dated: October 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

Launched 15 years ago today, the Cassini Huygens mission has been one of the outstanding successes of solar system exploration and a model of NASA ESA collaboration.

In episode 14 Professor John Zarnecki spoke about the science conducted from the surface of Titan by the Huygens lander in January 2005.

The European Space Agency’s Huygens probe had hitched a lift to Saturn aboard the Cassini orbiter. Six years after its arrival at Saturn, Cassini is still making spectacular discoveries about Saturn, its majestic rings and its many moons.

In this episode, Professor Carl Murray from Queen Mary University London talks about some of those discoveries and how the mission will eventually come to an end.

This interview was recorded during the National Astronomy Meeting in Manchester in March 2012.

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Episode 55: 4 August 2012: Mars Curiosity Rover

By Gurbir Dated: August 4, 2012 Leave a Comment

Since the mid 1970s six spacecraft (Viking 1 & 2, Sojourner, Opportunity, Spirit and Phoenix) have successfully landed on the surface of Mars. In probably the most audacious, breathtaking and risky space missions, in less than two days, another Mars Curiosity Rover will arrive on Mars. Using a technique never used before, NASA has described the Entry Decent Landing as the seven minutes of terror.

Launched in November 2011, the arrival of Mars Curiosity will for the first time make a high precision landing which is so crucial to its primary scientific goal of finding evidence of earlier Martian environment that may have been suitable for life.

Also known as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) it will be supported by a pair of NASA satellites (Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) already in Martian orbit. Mars has never been under so much human scrutiny. In addition to the still functioning Opportunity, a rover on the surface of Mars (launched in 2004) and the two NASA satellites, there is also the European Space Agency’s Mars Express is also in Martian orbit.

Dr Anita Sengupta is a member of the Entry Decent Landing and Advanced Technologies group at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this interview recorded on August 2^nd via telephone from her office in JPL she captures the sheer exhilaration of the dramatic entry decent and landing phase and describes her role in the Mars Curiosity rover mission.

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Episode 54: 23 July 2012 – Manchester Interplanetary Society and Stanley Davis

By Gurbir Dated: July 23, 2012 1 Comment

The August 2012 edition of Spaceflight, the monthly magazine from the British Interplanetary Society carried an article where I discuss the Northwest of England’s contribution in Rocketry during the 1930s. An extended version of that article is available for free download on Astrotalkuk.org – here.

So on to today’ episode.

In 1937, two teenagers Harry and Stanley with an outrageous ambition to design and build rockets for space travel joined a newly formed group with a name to match – the Manchester Interplanetary Society. Soon each met a girl, fell in love, exchanged wedding rings and got married. They went off on their separate ways but pledged to stay stay in touch. In addition to his interest in rockets he had a strong interest in science. In the late 1930’s he went by train to London to hear a talk from H.G. Wells. Had he not died prematurely, he like Harry would have immersed himself in the sci-fi fandom movement that blossoming in Britain from the early 1930s.

Wooden Statue of Abraham Lincoln. Carved by Stanley Davis

Harry Turner (extreme left) — Members of the Manchester Interplanetary Society. Harry Turner is 1st on the left

Two years later began the ferocious and violent events of World War Two that would shatter their dreams and lives along with millions of others around the world. Harry Turner spent much of the War in India and following his return enjoyed a successful career as an artist. Stanley Davies died in August 1941 from injuries he endured at Dunkirk.

Recently this shared story brought together Harry’s son Philip and Stanley’s daughter Ann. In episode 50 Philip recalled the memories of his father and in this episode Ann Sutcliffe remembers her father Stanley Davies.

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Episode 53: 28th June 2012 – The Chinese Space program

By Gurbir Dated: June 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

Chinese President Mao Zedong with space scientist Qian Xuesen in 1956 — Chinese President Mao Zedong with rocket scientist Qian Xuesen in 1956

Even a cursory look at the Chinese spacecraft design indicates a close and obvious connection between the Chinese and the Soviet the space technology. No doubt a result of the close geography and a shared political ideology during the Soviet era.

In this episode, a space historian specialising in the Chinese and Soviet/Russian space program outlines the history, current status and future of the Chinese space activities.

Brian Harvey is a Dublin based writer, author, broadcaster and probably the most informed specialist on Chinese space program in Ireland today. This conversation recorded during the Shenzhou-9 / Tiangong-1 mission orbiting the Earth with the three crew including the first Chinese female astronaut onboard. At the end of the interview Brian talks about the Space Cooperation Memorandum signed last week.

This telephone interview was recorded on Tuesday 26^th June and published today – one day before the scheduled return of Shenzhou-9.

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Episode 52: 7th June 2012: Michael Wood Historian and Gagarin’s visit to Manchester

By Gurbir Dated: June 7, 2012 1 Comment

Historian Michael Wood‘s documentary, The Great British Story – A People’s History, is currently being screened in the UK. Michael is from Manchester and was visiting Liverpool last weekend where he made time for this recording.

In this short interview, Michael Wood talks about the Great British Story, the role of the working classes in the northwest of England and the value of their contribution to modern society. Although he never met or saw Yuri Gagarin, he recounts his personal memories of the day the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin came to town.

A video recording is available below

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Michael Wood

Episode 51: 5th June 2012: Profile – Author David Shayler

By Gurbir Dated: June 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

David Shayler - astroinfoservices — David Shayler – http://www.astroinfoservice.co.uk/

You know what it is like, you buy a book on a subject of interest and enjoy it. Later you see a book on a similar subject that you probably were not going to buy but do so because it is from that same author. Gradually, you end up with several books from that author in your collection.

David Shayler is one such author for me. During the Space Day event in Droitwich earlier this year organised by British Interplanetary Society West Midlands branch, I finally got to meet David. This is a short recording of our conversation I recorded then.

Incidentally, David is the main organiser of the British Interplanetary Society’s annual – Soviet Chinese Forum taking place at the BIS headquarters in London on Saturday 9^th June. A pdf of the program for the day is available on the online here.

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Episode 50: 26th March 2012: Manchester first Rocket Scientists

By Gurbir Dated: March 27, 2012 1 Comment

Clayton Vale 27 Mar1937 — 27th March 1937 - Foreground (left to right): Eric Burgess, Bill Heeley, Trevor Cusack, Harry Turner (Picture – Philip Turner)

Robert Goddard in America , Sergei Korolev in the Soviet Union and Herman Oberth in Germany are three names credit with the development of rocket propulsion during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Each led a very small group with more dedication then resources working on a shoestring budget usually in their own time after work. Their collective work eventually lead to Sputnik, the space race and one of mankind’s greatest technological achievement – Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969.

During the inter war years, the northwest of England gave rise to organisations that nurtured the science of rockets and space travel. In 1933, Philip Cleater in Liverpool founded the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) to promote spaceflight, an institution which continues to exist to this day. A little known group established in 1936, called the Manchester Interplanetary Society (MIS) shared the lofty idea of space travel and had the ambition and talent to design, build and test rockets that could help to realise it.

The MIS founded by an ambitious and gifted sixteen year old Mancunian Eric Burgess in 1936. Initially, Burgess used his own home, 683 Aston New Road as the headquarters but moved to a founder member, Harry Turner’s house in Lonsdale Place not far Manchester City centre in the following year. Arthur C Clarke a member of both the science and sci-fi communities visited Harry in Manchester several times and promoted both.

Clayton Vale, a stone’s throw from the velodrome in East Manchester, is now a small picturesque park with the river Medlock running through its length. On Saturday 27th March 1937 it was more of a slag heap for the nearby coal mine and local industry and a site used by the Manchester Interplanetary Society (MIS) to test launch rockets made by its members. Following five largely unsuccessful cardboard rocket launch attempts the sixth constructed from aluminium exploded injuring three, one requiring hospital attention. The event was heavily featured in local and national press. Malcolm Wade, the MIS secretary said in the 29th March 1937 edition of the Daily Herald “If only the crowds had remained at a proper distance during Saturday’s trials instead of hustling around us, there would have been no accident.”

Most of the active members of the MIS received a summons to appear at the City Police Court on May 14. The charge against Harry Turner was that he “unlawfully did manufacture a certain explosive you not being allowed by section 4 and 39 of the Explosives Act, 1875 to do so“. Harry like most of the members was not eighteen so his father Henry is also named on the summons. In the event, Eric Burgess successfully argued that they were not manufacturing explosives but conducting rocket propulsion experiments. No one was found guilty. They agreed not to use Clayton Vale but another site in Glossop instead.

Pioneer 10 Plaque - the original idea from Eric Burgess

After the war Eric Burgess emigrated to America and worked for NASA and the space industry. He wrote many books including one of the earliest dedicated to rocket propulsion.

Perhaps Burgess’s most remarkable achievement is the least well known. Over dinner in November 1971 with Carl Sagan Burgess proposed that a message from humanity should accompany the Pioneer 10 destined for Jupiter in the following spring. Pioneer 10 would be the first man-made object to achieve solar system escape velocity and head in to interstellar space. The plaque was designed by Carl Sagan and Frank Drake and successfully incorporated in to the mission in a very short time. Although Burgess was informed about the plaque prior to launch, the image of a naked man and woman was so controversial in the 1970’s conservative America that NASA insisted on a news embargo until after launch.

A plaque on display at the Smithsonian Institute in America recognises Eric Burgess’s contribution to space travel. In Manchester there is nothing to mark the unique achievements of Eric Burgess, Harry Turner, Malcolm Wade and others who were Manchester’s very first rocket scientists.

In this interview Philip Turner’s son, Philip talks about Harry but fist, Harry’s widow Marion on how she first met Harry.

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Episode 49: 17th March 2012: National Astronomy Meeting 2012

By Gurbir Dated: March 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

This episode has no specific astronomical topic but draws attention to a very special astronomy meeting later this month. The Royal Astronomical Society’s annual National Astronomy Meeting last year was held in Wales, next year it will be in Scotland but this year it is in Manchester. National Astronomy Meeting 2012 or NAM2012 will be hosted by the University of Manchester in partnership with Germany’s equivalent to the RAS, the Astronomische Gesellschaft in the last week of March 2012. Despite the title it is very much international in nature with professional astronomers attending from USA, Australia and Europe.

I hope be blogging from the meeting, if you are around do stop by and say hello. I plan to record interviews with some of the speakers for future astrotalkuk episodes.

From the evening of Monday 26^th March to Friday 30^th, the weeklong program has a fascinating and varied schedule including free public talks. Although free – booking online is essential. Some of the outreach elements include

Two public lectures in the evening on Monday and Wednesday – book here
Two plenary session talks during each day of the week between 09:00-10:00 and again between 17:00-18:00 (except Fri 15:45 -16:45). Contact Anna.Mayall@manchester.ac.uk Group booking by astronomical societies are welcomed but should done quickly – its first come first served.
A program of talks specifically for A level students. They are day-long event not free but refreshments are included.
A unique social event on the evening of Tuesday 27^th in a city centre pub, an unusual blend of standup comedy and science £3.00 at the door.

In the following recording by telephone Dr Tim O’Brien from Jodrell Bank, explains the background to NAM2012 in Manchester.

Incidentally, like me, you may enjoy a picture on Tim’s website. No doubt taken during the emmensly successful Stargazing live event earlier this year. It show’s Tim falling asleep in his chair with Dara Obriain looking on with Prof Brian Cox in the background. All the links online in episode 49. Here’s Tim.

Summary of free public talks

Public Lectures

Mon 26th March 8pm All from Nothing : The Structuring of Our Universe Prof. Simon White
Wed 28th March 8pm The Juno Mission to Jupiter: What’s Inside the Giant Planet? Prof. Fran Bagenal

Plenary Session Lectures

Tue 27th March 9am-10am The Square Kilometre Array Michael Kramer
Tue 27th March 5pm-6pm Probing the interior of Jupiter: NASA’s Juno mission Fran Bagenal
Wed 28th March 9am-10am Frontiers in gravitational lensing Peter Schneider
Wed 28th March 5pm-6pm The protocloud and the large-scale environment of galaxies Joss Bland-Hawthorn
Thu 29th March 9am-10am Wonders of the solar atmosphere Alan Hood
Thu 29th March 5pm-6pm Astrophotography Nik Szymanek
Fri 30th March 9am-10am Catching Shadows: Kepler’s Year-Three Exoplanet Census Natalie Batalha
Fri 30th March 3:45pm-4:45pm Cosmology in our backyard

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Episode 48: 13th February 2012: Mat Irvine, early BBC Special Effects Department and Sky at Night episode from 1963

By Gurbir Dated: February 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

The same year that the first woman made it in to space in 1963, a quaint children’s sci-fi series called Dr Who started on BBC television in the UK. Eventually it became popular around the world and has enjoyed success once more since it restarted again in 2005.

Mat Irvine worked in the special effects department of the BBC and made the original model of K9 for Dr Who but he also worked on other programs including the Sky at Night.

One of the memorable characters from Dr Who was Davros. The horribly scarred, evil looking megalomaniac creator of the Daleks and arch enemy of the doctor. Listen out for my faux pas when I refer to Davros as StavrosJ

In this episode, Mat talks about the special effects department in those early days at the BBC and about the recently resurfaced 1963 episode of Sky at Night featuring Arthur C Clark.

A clip from the missing episode was shown in the November 2011 edition of sky at night. You can see the full episode here.

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

By Gurbir Dated: July 25, 2011 3 Comments

Links to audio and video below.

The 50^th 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 14^th 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

Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council
Vladimir Popovkin Head of Roscosmos (speaking in Russian but with a translator)
Yuri Gagarin’s oldest daughter – Elena Gagarina unveiled the statue
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

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

British Council Evening reception

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!
The episode ends with Ambassador Yakovenko briefly recalling his recent meeting with the queen.

Korolev’s daughter, grand daughter and great grand daughter

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Episode 46:10th July 2011: Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. New Book and Personal recollections

By Gurbir Dated: July 10, 2011 2 Comments

On his first visit outside the eastern bloc, Yuri Gagarin arrived in London for a 5 day visit on Tuesday July 11th 1961. He was greeted with a tumultuous and sincere warm welcome everywhere he went including his meetings with the Prime minister and the Queen. The British government juggled with acknowledging Gagarin personal courage and the Soviet Union’s historic technological achievement whilst assuring its allies, USA, France and West Germany that the visit would not be exploited exclusively as a communist propaganda opportunity.
When the Manchester based Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers discovered that Gagarin had trained as a foundry worker, they invited him to join their union as a honorary member. He came to Manchester on 12th July and visited the union office, the Metrovicks plant in Trafford Park and the city’s town hall before flying back to London six hours later.

During the late seventies I had lived near this union office and only discovered in 2010 that Gagarin had actually been there. I looked but failed to find any books on the subject so I decide to write one. It is called “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” and attempts to fill in a small bit of the Gagarin story.

The first and last chapters describe Gagarin’s flight, some of the key individuals involved, the air crash that claimed his life in 1968 and his personal impact as an advocate of peace during the Cold War. In the remaining chapter – 2-7, I document the background to his invitation and details of where he went and who he met. Some of those recollections are the subject of this episode. It includes clips from Captain Eric Brown and Reg Turnill, longer versions of which are available in episodes 40 and 41. My thanks to those who contributed to this episode – Reg Turnill, Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Brenda Knowles, Marjorie Rose, Stanley Nelson, Captain Eric Brown and Stanislava Sajawizc.

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester
185 Pages, 27 Illustrations
ISBN 978-0-9569337-0-6
Paperback £10.00 (+postage) and eBook (iPad and Kindle) £2.50 available from publications@astrotalkuk.org
Download a pdf of the page of contents, Chapter 2 “An Uneasy Invitation” and the text above or all three in a zip file.

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Recollections of Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode 45: 4th July 2011: Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Al Worden

By Gurbir Dated: July 4, 2011 Leave a Comment

Probably the most scientifically demanding Apollo mission, Apollo 15 was launched on 26^th July 1971 on a two week mission. Al Worden in the command module orbited the Moon for 75 orbits whilst Dave Scott and James Irwin explored the south eastern edge of Mare Imbrium on the Moon’s surface. Apollo 15 launched with the heaviest payload of all Apollo missions and included the first moon rover, a sub-satellite launched from Apollo 15 in to lunar orbit and a collection of science instruments including a high resolution camera to map the lunar surface.

To coincide with the 40^th anniversary, on July 26^th 2011, writing with Francis French Al Worden is publishing his autobiography. In this interview recorded in London on 22^nd May, Al talks about his test pilot career before joining NASA, the Apollo 15 mission, the “Covers incident” (these were stamped postal covers franked on the day of launch and again the day of ret urn for subsequent public sale) his post NASA career and his autobiography Falling to Earth.

In addition to bringing back 77kg of Lunar Material, high resolution images of the Moon from lunar orbit and images of the zodiacal light, solar corona and gegenschein, Al Worden conducted a 38 minute space walk a day after they fired the engine for their journey home from Lunar orbit.

________________________

Today’s quote is from Al during this interview. It is a reminder that space exploration is not only about cutting-edge technology and breathtaking adventure but it is above all a human endeavour.

“The story of Apollo 15 is a story of betrayal by people and by the government”

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Episode 44: 15th May 2011: First Orbit and Manchester’s Yuri Gagarin Exhibition

By Gurbir Dated: May 15, 2011 Leave a Comment

Another Yuri Gagarin episode, I know the anniversary of the world’s first spaceflight is over but there is still lots going on over the next few months. There are two contributors in this episode, Chris Riley and Richard Evans.

One of the most successful projects to mark the anniversary is the film First Orbit. The only camera aboard Vostok 1 was on the inside, transmitting live pictures of Gagarin’s face to the nervous engineers who anxiously monitored mankind’s first experience of spaceflight. First Orbit is a remarkably accurate recreation of what Gagarin would have seen compiled from high definition video shot from the space station. Astonishingly, this undertaking of international proportions, was put together by numerous unpaid volunteers and almost three million who have seen it, saw it for free. It is still available for viewing online and for download – still free. If you want to make a contribution and have a smart phone (Android or Iphone) the First Orbit app will set you back about 70 pence.

First Orbit was produced and directed by Chris Riley along with many other volunteers. Chances are you have already seen the film. Also available from firstorbit.org website is a short but facinating video about the making of First Orbit. Chris Riley talks about his next project “Orbit” but begins with how the idea of First Orbit came about.

Yuri Gagarin was in Britain for 5 days, he spent the second one, Wednesday 12^th July 1961, in Manchester. A major in the Soviet Air Force he started off his career as foundryman. During his six hours in the city, he visited the head quarters of the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers in Old Trafford, the Metropolitan Vickers Engineering plant in Trafford Park and concluded with a civic reception in Manchester Town Hall.

The only event in Manchester to mark the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s vist is an exhibition at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale running through until 17^th August 2011. The exhibition and program of events have been driven by the science fiction author Richard Evans. He talks about the exhibitiion but starts with his current writing project.

________________________

Today’s quote is from Yuri Gagarin asserting his working class roots during his Manchester visit.

“Although I am doing a different job now, I am still a foundry worker at heart”

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http://www.firstorbit.org/how-we-made-the-film

Episode 43 April 18th 2011: Apollo 12 and Captain Richard Gordon

By Gurbir Dated: April 19, 2011 Leave a Comment

Scroll down for the audio and video.

1969 is remembered for the unique event in history, Apollo 11 and the first men, Neil and Buzz on the surface of the Moon. Before the year was out, another three men headed the same way. On November 19^th, Pete Conrad and Alan Bean precision landed Apollo 12 in the Ocean of Storms with in walking distance of Surveyor 3 which had arrived to years earlier. The command module pilot Richard Gordon waited in lunar orbit while Conrad and Bean made two lunar EVAs during the thirty one hours they were on the lunar surface. In April, Capt. Dick Gordon came to Pontefract in England. Gordon is one of several astronauts who have made that particular journey under the auspices of Ken Willoughby. This episode is a video recording starting with my short interview and then the Q&A at the end of his public presentation hence the ambient noise. Ken MacTaggart from the newspaper, the Scotsman was also present in Pontefract just off the screen. His article is available here.

________________________

Today’s quote is from Apollo 12 commander, Pete Conrad as he stepped on to the surface of the Moon.

“Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but it’s a long one for me!”

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Apollo 12 Dick Gordon Episode 43 www.astrotalkuk.org from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode 42: April 12th 2011: Rare video of Yuri Gagarin in Manchester

By Gurbir Dated: April 12, 2011 2 Comments

Scroll down for the audio and video.

On a cold bright Wednesday morning fifty years ago in the Soviet town of Turatam, a rocket launched a man into space. A critical initial step for any civilisation that eventually travels to the stars.

Any first is both special and trivial. Special because by definition it only happens once and arises from a complex set of circumstances that happen to come together at that point in time. It is trivial in the sense that there is nothing necessarily unique about the individuals that are involved. They too are chosen by circumstance largely beyond their control. Driven perhaps by a desire for personal glory, an overwhelming sense of duty or an innate curiosity to explore, the early space travellers and those who facilitated it overcame personal challenges, exhaustive training and exposure to unrivalled grave danger to bring a new experience to mankind.

Less than a month after his 27^th birthday, Yuri Gagarin was launched into space aboard Vostok 1. Fifty years on, there are now around 550 human beings to have experienced spaceflight in Earth orbit. Of all the orbital spaceflights Gagarin’s 108 minute flight is the shortest. It was his only spaceflight. He died in an air crash in 1968 whilst training to return to spaceflight.

In the immediate aftermath of his flight, Gagarin embarked on what turned out to be pretty much a world tour. In July 1961 he came to Britain at the invitation of the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers, because prior to joining the Soviet Air Force, Gagarin had trained and worked as a foundryman. He ended up meeting the British Prime Minister in London and the Queen invited him for lunch at Buckingham Palace, but he came to Manchester first because that is where the union was based. Gagarin visited the union headquarters where he was made their first honorary member and awarded a gold medal inscribed with the word “together moulding a better world”. He went on to visit a foundry in Trafford Park (the world’s first purpose built and largest industrial estate) and then Manchester Town Hall for a civic reception where he met Sir Bernard Lovell director of Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope that had assisted in the tracking of Soviet satellites and spaceships.

This week’s episode is the story of a short, originally 16mm cine film partially with audio recorded during Gagarin’s visit to Manchester on 12^th July 1961. The film shows Gagarin’s arrival at Manchester Ringway Airport, the presentation ceremony at the union office in Old Trafford, his visits to the foundry workers in Trafford Park and the Manchester Town Hall. The roll of film was discovered unlabelled in a cupboard in 1986 as the union prepared to move out of the building that Gagarin visited to another. The discovery was made by Alf Lloyd, a Union Regional Officer and colleague. It had no label and was almost discarded. Alf Lloyd presented the film to the Manchester based North West Film Archive in 1987.

In early 2011, by chance, I had been in contact with space historian Francis French, who is from Manchester but is now the Director of Education at San Diego Air and Space Museum in California . In 1987 he was researching Gagarin’s visit to Manchester when he was shown a cine film in a Manchester union office on a cine projector. During the screening a part of the film broke off and he was given the broken segment as a gift. Fortunately, Francis kept that segment safe and recognised that his segment was part of the same roll of film. After almost a quarter of a century later the two sections have been once again digitally reunited and an edited version is available online at Astrotalkuk.org. The original film resides with the Northwest Film Archive.

Not least because of his humble family origins but also because of his deep communist principles, the empathy and warmth Gagarin experienced during his meeting with the foundry workers in Trafford Park was genuine and sincere. On 12th April 1962, the first anniversary of his flight, Gagarin sent a message to the Foundry Workers in Manchester via Moscow Radio’s English service. The message starts with the words “Dear Brothers”, and goes on to recall his experience of his visit to Manchester and includes the moving statement “The firm handshakes of my fellow workers in the moulding workshops were dearer to me than many awards”.

The original recording had audio on only two sections. The first audio section is a record of the presentation of the honorary membership at the union office by the AUFW president Fred Hollingsworth. In the second audio section, Gagarin fields questions at the reception in Manchester Town Hall. Gagarin did not speak English, his translator is Boris Biletsky.

________________________

Today’s quote is from Yuri Gagarin himself. When you read the text of his speeches, reports in newspapers and his formal messages, one reoccurring topic is about peace and friendship. Much is, no doubt, simple rhetoric, a response to the prevailing cold war uncertainties, and even political propaganda. On reflection, however, I think much of it was honest, heartfelt and a genuine expression of his personal desire for peace and friendship. In a New Year’s greeting message of 1962 he states

“May this year be a year of peace on Earth and may the friendship between British and Soviet peoples develop and grow stronger”

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For the five minute video from the North West Film Archive click image below.

Episode 41: April 9th 2011: Yuri Gagarin and Reg Turnill

By Gurbir Dated: April 9, 2011 5 Comments

Scroll down for the audio and video.

Reg Turnill joined the BBC in 1956 with the remit to cover aviation and defence. The launch of Sputnik 1 in the following year expanded his remit to include space. He is particularly well known for his coverage of the American Apollo program. In the UK, his name and face, along with that of Patrick Moore and James Burke, is associated with the commentators who covered live the Apollo Moon landings on the BBC.

In April 1961, Reg was sent to Moscow for Gagarin’s first post flight international news conference. It turned out to be a fascinating story of cold war politics as well as leading edge space technology. In his own words Reg describes this as “ a phony press conference, an entirely choreographed event designed to humiliate the west” and he summarised the whole press conference as “good humoured evasion”. Interacting through an interpreter and restricted to pre submitted written questions, he had to put aside his usual analytical approach. However he recognises that this was “a great achievement”. This interview was recorded on January 19th 2011 at his home on the south coast of England.
________________________

Today’s quote is from Reg Turnill’s book “The Moon Landings: An Eye Witness Account”. Following John Glen’s second spaceflight in October 1998, Reg at 83 the oldest working space correspondent, asked John Glen, the oldest man in space, a question. In part Glen answered
“Old folk have ambitions and dreams too, like everybody else. So why don’t they work for them? Don’t sit on the couch. Go for it”

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Reg Turnill talks about Yuri Gagarin’s first press conference from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode 40: April 2nd 2011: Gagarin in London : Captain Eric Brown

By Gurbir Dated: April 2, 2011 2 Comments

Scroll down for the options to play audio and video.

On the third of Gagarin’s five days in Britain, immediately following his meeting with Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, on Thursday 13^th July 1961, he had the only private meeting of his visit with Captain Eric Brown where the press was not invited, no photographs were taken and no official record was kept. During this “test pilot” to “test pilot” meeting, Gagarin clearly told Brown that he had ejected from his spacecraft. Although not in the same league as Brown, Brown considered Gagarin to be a test pilot. The Soviets consistently maintained that he had not but eventually, a decade later they conceded officially that Gagarin had bailed out and landed by parachute. When I asked Captain Brown why he had never published the details of his private meeting before, “no one asked me before” replied.

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At the time Captain Brown was the deputy director of Naval Air Warfare and the meeting took place between him, his deputy and colleague from the Admiralty who could speak Russian but that was kept secret from Gagarin and Belitsky. Brown sought additional confidence that the translator was translating sincerely.

Captain Brown has had a unique career as a test pilot. He had met many of the key players in aviation and rocket design. Hanna Reitsch, Herman Goering and Wernher Von Braun. Brown’s achievements as a test pilot were well established and it is probably with the knowledge of his accomplishments that the Soviets agreed to such a meeting. Brown still holds the world record in deck landings (2407) and the number of aircraft types flown (487). He also has several firsts (first deck landing of a twin-engine aircraft, first deck landing of a jet engine) of which the Russian’s and Gagarin would have known. By 1960, many of his books were available in translation in technical colleges which young aviators like Gagarin would have come across. It is likely that Gagarin knew of Brown and wanted to meet Brown just a much as Brown wanted to meet Gagarin.

Immediately following the war, Brown was inevitably involved in supersonic flight testing and reached speeds up to mach 0.9. He was testing a secret high-performance aircraft designated as the Miles M52 which was suddenly and suspiciously dropped in 1946. Had it not been; it was very likely that Brown would have added first supersonic flight to his collections of firsts. In the event Chuck Jaeger in USA claimed that achievement in 1947.

He is considered to be the greatest ever test pilot by some within the aviation industry.

An extensive interview, recorded in his home on 19^th January two days before his 92^nd birthday, is edited specifically for his recollections about Yuri Gagarin.

Episode 39: March 19th 2011: Spacecraft Operations

By Gurbir Dated: March 19, 2011 Leave a Comment

Scroll to the bottom for the audio and video.

Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, thousands of unmanned spacecraft have been launched, mostly to Earth orbit, but many have gone to the inner and outer planets, and four of them have pretty much left the Solar System altogether.

European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft arrived at Mars in 2003 and is still operating almost a decade later. It is operated by people in a profession initiated by the space age itself. Spacecraft Operations Engineers are the individuals who quietly take over the responsibility of spacecraft after the nerve wrenching excitement of the launch is over.

Thomas Ormston, a Spacecraft Operations Engineer for VEGA Space GmbH, working at the European Space Operations Centre on the European Space agency’s Mars Express mission describes in this episode the steps involved in controlling Mars Express from over one hundred million miles from Earth.

The Hubble Space Telescope is the single instrument that has probably contributed more to science in the last decade than any other. Its success is not the size of its 2.4m mirror, there are many larger telescopes on Earth but its location.

Many amateur astronomers have captured images of Mars using a webcam. Such images are usually tiny but with integration techniques a surprising amount of surface details is visible. What would it be like if you could put that webcam in Martian orbit? Thomas and his colleagues have done just that.

Several ESA spacecraft have an attached Visual Monitoring Cameras (VMC), usually installed for a very specific purpose. Mars Express had one to monitor the release of Beagle 2, after that it was switched off. Thomas describes the details behind the project that reactivated the camera in a paper published online and the fascinating video compiled from 600 images taken by the VMC webcam during the 7 hour Martian orbit on 27^th May 2010. It continues to take images which are posted here.

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Today’s quote from John Lennon is about the critical importance of the role of human understanding in interpreting the real world, even when you have all the evidence that you could possible desire.

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination

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Audio

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Episode 39: March 19th 2011 – Spacecraft Operations from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode 38: January 23rd 2011: Want to be an Astronaut? Book a ticket online

By Gurbir Dated: January 26, 2011 2 Comments

Scroll to the bottom of this post to play the audio or watch the video.

Going in to space was nothing more than a dream for many of us for such a long time. But things are changing profoundly and fast. Once human spaceflight was only possible as part of a national government project. Then a decade ago Denis Tito (on 28th April 2001) became the first self funding astronaut by signing a cheque for $20 million.

Now in 2011, Spaceflight has never been easier or cheaper. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has now brought the price down to $200,000 for a brief suborbital flight. Imagine spaceflight for the price less than that of a small house in London. In the year that marks the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight, it is about time isn’t it?

A familiar name in the astronomical community, Nigel Henbest a writer, broadcaster and television producer took a not too deep breath and signed on the dotted line and is now on the road to his space experience in the next year or two.

As the private sector develops perhaps the commercial spaceflight market will experience the same rapid innovation and price reduction we saw in the personal computer market. Is it too speculative to imagine that within a few years the price of a sub orbital flight will come down perhaps to that of a family car?

In this episode Nigel, talks about why he wants to go in to space and the steps involved in the process of getting there. Nigel has written about his flight here and to see a high resolution image of the huge Virgin Galactic brochure click the image.

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This episode’s quote

You see things and say why? But I dream things that never were and say why not?
George Bernard Shaw

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Episode 37: November 21st 2010 : Progress of Science through the Ages

By Gurbir Dated: November 22, 2010 3 Comments

Scroll to the bottom of this post to play the audio.

On November 3rd this year, Professor Jim Al-khalili was to give three lectures in Liverpool on the same day (Quantum Physics, Advances in Mathematics in Medieval Islam and On the Shoulders of Eastern Giants: the Forgotten Contribution of the Medieval Physicists). I did feel a bit of a stalker, I attended all three, but fortunately I was not alone.

It is not often that I get to personally witness the scientific method in real life. The most illuminating part of the day of the three lectures was the the Q and A following the second lecture. A questioner put her hand up and stated clearly that she had a correction rather than a question. She had heard the professor talk about the concept and symbol for the number zero. During his lecture, the professor had recalled the contribution from the Babylonians, Mayans and Indian mathematicians. The questioner had been researching the substantial contribution from the Egyptians in this area which the professor had not mentioned. What happened next was an affirmation of the scientific method.

The professor could have been defensive, confrontational or dismissive. Instead, he listened to her argument and asked her to stay behind to so he could learn details of her research. That is the power of the scientific idea. It stands only on the edifice of evidence and not the economic wealth, social position or academic reputation of those who hold it.

The progress of scientific knowledge is not continuous and linear but evolves through a series of stops and starts. Thomas Kuh n, in his 1962 book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” described the progress of science as periodic “paradigm shifts”. He was referring to the fundamental differences in thinking that have lead to leaps in scientific understanding.

Could that stop and start concept describe how science develops through the ages too? Scientific discoveries are frequently lost, forgotten or deliberately suppressed. So the story of scientific discovery is frequently a story of rediscovery. William Harvey ‘s discovery in 1628 of the human heart and circulation of blood though the human body had much in common with that of Ibn al-Nafis 400 years earlier. Nicolas Copernicus is credited in the 16^th century with introducing the heliocentric system (placing the Sun not the Earth, in the centre of the solar system) but this idea had been propounded by Aristarchus in the third century BC.

The omissions are not just in science. One example of technological development lost for over a thousand years that sticks out like a sore thumb is the Antikythera mechanism, a device for calculating and displaying relative positions of the Sun, Moon and planets. The precision of the internal mechanism would not be repeated for over a thousand years.

Why these omissions occur is unclear. History, like science is always a work in progress. Reflecting on why the ancient Greek tradition of scientific method stalled, Carl Sagan in his celebrated work, Cosmos, concluded that their society was elitist and self serving. Key figures like Plato were hostile to experiment and perpetuated the idea that human thought alone was sufficient to explain the physical world. This intellectually corrupt approach sustained their slave owning unjust society. Search for truth was not their goal.

In his new book “Pathfinders” Professor Al-Khalili attempts to fill “a” gap in the history of science by revisiting the work done by the Arabic scholars during the period known in Europe as the dark ages. It is not a story of Islamic science but of science conducted in the Arabic language which has its roots in Islam. For around 600 years (from 9^th to the 15^th century), sandwiched between Greek and Latin, the international language of science was Arabic.

A professor of theoretical nuclear physics in the University of Surrey, he was born in Baghdad to a Christian mother and a Muslim father. As an atheist , Jim Al-Khalili, emphasizes the role of Islamic, Persian, Christian and Jewish scholars who not only translated the work of the ancient Greeks but enhanced and developed it. Just as the ancient Greeks took the concept of an alphabet from the earlier Phoenician civilization and developed the written language, the scientific (re)discoveries we traditionally associate with the European Renaissance were built in turn on the progress during this golden age of Arabic science.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili has his own podcast but here is a recording we made for this one just prior to the start of his three lecture session. To start off with, I asked about his personal interest in astronomy.

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The quote for this episode is from the prophet Mohammed and in chapter 2 of Pathfinders.

“The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr”

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Episode 36: October 11th 2010 – UK Space Policy and Yuri Gagarin’s visit to Manchester and London in July 1961

By Gurbir Dated: October 12, 2010 7 Comments

Next year April 12th 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s, mankind’s, first steps into space. It was a product of the accumulated technology of many countries over many years but particularly driven by the the political landscape resulting from the 2nd world war. Since then successful robotic missions have visited the planets, asteroids and comets. 24 men have gone to the moon and a dozen have even walked on its surface.

Subsequent achievements have fallen short of the expectations raised in the wake of Gagarin’s flight. Gagarin himself spoke openly about his desire to go to the moon and Mars. That sounds like a pipe dream now but back in 1961, he was absolutely serious and realistic.

So what happened? Had the space race been won when Neil and Buzz landed on the Moon? Had the motivation borne out of political rivalries of the cold war finally been exhausted? Perhaps, the problems closer at home of poverty, population growth, environmental concerns raced to the top of the political agenda and forced governments into a pragmatic reconsideration on how they spent their cash?

Big questions. Too big for this episode where Dr Chris Welch from Kingston University provides a brief outline of the current status of the Space policy here in the UK. Dr Welch also happens to be the chair of the of the recently launched YuriGagarin50 group which has amongst its aims:

Stimulate celebration and recognition of the global significance of Gagarin and his flight – ‘the first person in space, the first person to see the Earth as a planet’.

After his flight Yuri Gagarin embarked on a world tour which included a 4 day visit to the UK which surprisingly included a visit to Manchester on 12th July 1961. By chance, Gagarin’s first job was as a moulder in a foundry in Moscow. He came to the UK and Manchester at the invitation of the Manchester based Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers. I will be producing another episode focusing on Gagarin’s UK visit next year. Did you see Gagarin in July 1961? Do you know someone who did? Share your memories. Drop me a note at info@astrotalkuk.org.

With many months to go to next year’s 50th anniversary, there are several events already being planned to celebrate mankind’s first steps in to space. Keep an eye on the events calendar at www.yurigagarin50.org

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The quote for this episode is from the Soviet government in 1961 following Gagarin’s success in Vostok 1. Perhaps they were deliberately winding up the Americans but there is something warm and reassuring to see a couple of familiar words in the quote “all mankind” that are on the plaque left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts. A 1961 official Soviet Government and Communist Party announcement said.

“We regard these victories in the conquest of outer space not only as the achievement of our people but as an achievement of all mankind”

A video version of this podcast is available on Vimeo here.

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Episode 35: 22nd July 2010: Dr Edgar Mitchell – Apollo 14

By Gurbir Dated: July 26, 2010 4 Comments

A man playing golf on the moon is one of the images permanently etched into the collective memory of humanity’s first exploration of the moon. The so called “golf player” was Alan Shepard the guy with him was Dr Edgar Mitchell whilst Stuart Roosa orbited the moon in the command module. Today, Ed Mitchell, two months away from his 80^th birthday is the only remaining member of the Apollo 14 crew.

On a recent visit to Pontefract, organised once again by Ken Willoughby, he describes his personal journey to the moon. Amongst other things he highlights his javelin throw which, by a narrow margin, beat the golf ball, as a picture in his presentation illustrates. He spent nine hours on the surface of the moon during two EVAs on February 5^th and 6^th1971. Apollo 14 was his only space flight and he left NASA in the following year.

Ed Mitchell is perhaps best known for his epiphany moment on the return journey to Earth when he experienced a unique spiritual sensation which has dominated his professional and personal life ever since. To help understand it, he left NASA and establish the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Over the last few years he has frequently spoken publicly about his interest in the paranormal, ESP and UFOs. He asserts that the Roswell incident was real, aliens have landed on the Earth and the US military is responsible for a cover-up.

It is strange that someone (a navy pilot and an Apollo astronaut) with a professional life dominated by leading edge science and technology can hold such an unscientific position. He appears oblivious to the contradiction in referring to himself as an astrophysicist and yet accepting Fred Hoyle’s Steady State explanation of cosmology, for which there is little evidence, over the Big Bang. I wonder how he explains Hubble’s law and the expansion of space, Cosmic microwave background radiation and the relative abundance of primordial elements.

I really should have asked him. I did not in part out of deference. Despite his age and unusual views, he remains a member of a unique group of individuals with a special contribution to human history. Who knows, he may well turn out to be right. In the meantime, the main road of science, directed by the sign posts of observational evidence, is probably still the best path to a more accurate understanding of the cosmos.

Dr Mitchell was kind enough to share his power point slides which I have incorporated into the hour long video presentation. Links to that presentation and a video version of this episode below.

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An increasingly familiar quote from someone else who made a huge contribution to how we should go about understanding the cosmos. Carl Sagan.

“I believe that the extraordinary should be pursued. But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” .

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Episode 35 – Video (10 minutes)

Dr Edgar Mitchell 2nd July 2010 from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode 34: May 31st 2010 Effelsberg Radio Telescope

By Gurbir Dated: June 5, 2010 1 Comment

Nestling in a valley amongst the rolling green hills of the Eifel region of western Germany is the 100m Effelsberg steerable radio telescope. Similar to the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank which is on the plains of Cheshire in northwest England which can be seen from miles away. The Effelsberg telescope is situated in a valley so it easy to pass close by and not see it.

It is an international facility. Participating in Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) where physical links are necessary with other countries it also hosts astronomers from many other countries and participates in global research projects. Although its website may appear a littel dated, Effelsberg has a surprisingly rich online presence including the current schedule and of course the now mandatory webcam.

Effelsberg is a leading player in a new international project called LOw Frequency ARray or LOFAR. Lofar targets the low frequency range between 10MHZ and 250MHZ. However, for many years commercial FM radio stations, the local emergency services and the aviation industry have been using frequencies between 90MHZ and 108MHZ so Lofar range is split in to two bands. Low (10-90MHZ) and high (108 – 250MHZ). Thus there are in fact three telescopes at Effelsberg.

On a recent visit, Dr Norbert Junkes talked about the previous, current and new activities taking place at Effelsberg.

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Episode 33: January 27th 2010 : Ptolemy’s Almagest

By Gurbir Dated: January 29, 2010 1 Comment

If you had the task of gathering all of humanity’s knowledge of cosmology in one place, how would you do it? Answers to questions such as, How big is the Earth? At what date and time will the Moon be full again? What makes the Sun shine? How old is the Universe? Today a good place to start the project would be to scour the sources online. In about 150AD Claudius Ptolemaeus, better known as Ptolemy, a Greek national with Roman citizenship living in Egypt, attempted to do just that. He is best known for his encyclopaedic work written in ancient Greek “Syntaxis Mathematica”, perhaps better known as the Almagest from the Arabic Al magisti “the greatest”. He was an industrious author of many scientific and mathematical treaties but he also collected works going back hundreds of years.

The Almagest was the premier source of knowledge for describing the cosmos for almost two thousand years. Nothing of the original survives, only hand written copies of hand written copies.

Today’s episode is partially about one such copy, A seven hundred year old manuscript identified recently in the special collections of the Brotherton Library in the University of Leeds. Only parts of it is the Almagest. The manuscript was kept by Anthony Askew, Joseph windham and then lord Brotherton who donated it to the University of Leeds.

This episode is also about how information is transmitted through history. The value that successive individuals, societies and civilisations put on them. The inevitable errors in the mishmash of translations over hundreds of years from one language (Ancient Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Latin and English) to another or the periodic attempts by one scribe to diligently copy the work of another. In early 2009 Dr Regine May and Professor Malcolm Heath came across a 14^th century manuscript catalogued as a work of Astrology and discovered it contained elements of Ptolemy’s Almagest. The manuscript in three volumes has yet to receive detailed scholarly scrutiny.

In today’s episode there are 4 contributors. Dr Regine May outlines how the almost accidental discovery of this manuscript came about and Dr Oliver Pickering, the keeper of the special collections describes how the library acquired the manuscript. A live recording of Professor Malcolm Heath, Dr Allan Chapman and Dr Oliver Pickering inspecting the manuscript in the Brotherton Library.

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Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher of the late 19th century who read and wrote about the ancient Greek culture. Perhaps it was the writings from the ancient Greek civilisation which lead him to conclude The future influences the present just as much as the past.

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Episode 32: January 1st 2010 Sir Patrick Moore

By Gurbir Dated: January 1, 2010 Leave a Comment

Sir Patrick Moore is primarily known for his work on the long running TV series, The Sky at Night but he is an author, musician and an observational astronomer, too. He is also a former director of the Armagh Planetarium, a co-founder of the Society for Popular Astronomyand a former president of the British Astronomical Association.

His autobiography was published when he was Eighty in 2003. It is upfront, strongly opinionated, potentially uncomfortable in places for some and remarkably honest. He writes unapologetically with the political correctness of an earlier generation. He recounts his meetings with many of the key contributors in science and astronomy of the late twentieth century. It is a unique personal account of the development of astronomy and science during a fascinating period humanity’s exploration of space. An absolute “must read” for those of us who grew up with Sky at Night.

I met Sir Patrick Moore at his home in Selsey, called Farthings, on 20^th of August 2009. He was an extremely hospitable host. We discussed several themes of his autobiography Eighty Not Out, and we started with cricket.

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Today’s quote, reflecting his tongue-in-cheek and humorous approach to to life, is from Patrick Moore himself.

At my age I do what Mark Twain did. I get my daily paper, look at the obituary and if I am not in there I carry on as usual.

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Episode 30: December 27th 2009 Prof. Barrie Jones

By Gurbir Dated: December 26, 2009 Leave a Comment

Forty years ago a revolutionary higher education institution for adults was established in the UK. Students enrolled in the Open University two years later in 1971. This model of higher education has now spread across the globe.

Today, the Open University plays a strong and active role in the exploration of space in collaboration with ESA and NASA. The first bit of human technology to touch the surface of Titan was an instrument made by a team at the OU under Professor John Zarnecki. The unsuccessful Beagle 2 mission to Mars was headed by OU Professor Colin Pillinger. Currently, it is working on projects including Darwin, Stardust, Rosette and Genesis.

Today’s episode is a special recording with Professor Barrie Jones of the Open University. Special because during the Eighties, I studied several of the courses which he helped to develop and presented on the the late night OU TV programs.

Professor Jones joined the Open University in 1972 and since 2006 is the emeritus professor of astronomy. He recalls people he worked with at Cornell including Tom Gold, Frank Drake, Carl Sagan and the early days of Gamma Ray astronomy from balloons.

His distinguished career has spanned several decades, arguably the most scientifically productive decades in the history of astronomy, over that time, his research has spanned the electromagnetic spectrum. Although retired, he continues to write, research and lecture mainly in Astrobiology.

Initially he started working on Gamma Rays at Bristol University and then Infra Red astronomy during his time at Cornell. I asked if he had been involved with radio and optical astronomy too?

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As the UK government recently announced further cuts in the higher education budget, today’s quote is from Derek Bok .

If you think education is expensive – try ignorance.

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Episode 29: Venus

By Gurbir Dated: August 16, 2009 Leave a Comment

In size, mass and orbit Venus is the nearest Earth has to a twin in the Solar System. It is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon, hottest planet in the solar system, has a day longer than its year, is named after the Roman goddess of love and yet it has a deadly atmosphere and its the one planet that gets closer to the Earth than any other.

In this episode, recorded in late 2008, Professor Fred Taylor, Jesus College Oxford, talks about the Venus Express mission.

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This week’s quote is my rather obtuse reference to the runaway greenhouse effect on the planet Venus. Its from Will Rogers and its what he says to his niece on seeing Venus de Milo in the Louvre in Paris.

“See what will happen if you don’t stop biting your fingernails?”

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Episode 28: Apollo 13

By Gurbir Dated: July 21, 2009 Leave a Comment

On this day 40 years ago the crew of Apollo 11 fulfilled one of mankind’s longest held dreams and walked on the surface of the Moon. One of them Buzz Aldrin in episode 12 of ATUK, recalled a little of that experience.

Today’s episode is a short recording with Fred Haise when he visited Pontefract as arranged by Ken Willoughby. Incidentally, Jim Lovell is also visiting Pontefract in Yorkshire on October the 2^nd 2009. If you are close to northern England on that date consider stopping by. Of the twelve men who walked on the Moon only nine remain.

Apollo 13 astronauts Fred Haise along with Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert were arguably the subject of the 20^th century’s most dramatic events and the subject of the film Apollo 13.

Fred Haise never made it to the surface of the Moon.

He served on the back-up crew for the Apollo 8, Apollo 11, Apollo 16 moon missions and was also scheduled as commander for the cancelled Apollo 19 mission. As a backup he could have been on the first mission to the moon (Apollo 8), first moon landing (Apollo 11) and of course commanded his own mission on Apollo 19 but the Apollo program was cancelled after Apollo 17.

Remember the first Shuttle – Enterprise, on the back of a modified 747? Between February and October of 1977 it flew 16 times to perform the approach and landing test of what would become the Shuttle Transport System which is due to conclude next year 2010. Fred Haise was involved in 5 of those. Three of which involved the Enterprise in free flight.

When I spoke to Fred during the dinner on the day before this recording, he came across as an ordinary guy who did not consider himself to be “special” but just around in the right place at the right time. During the course of the evening he spoke to many who were present but most of the evening had gone by and I had not had a chance to say hello. Then suddenly he approached from a corner of the room and said “Hello, I’m Fred Haise, I don’t think we’ve met”. In the short conversation that followed he indicated that fishing was his primary hobby and although his trip aboard Apollo 13 was dramatic he had an eventful life before and after it too.

Sure, it is impossible to have a deep insight from a couple of short meetings. Perhaps, it was the ease with which he used my first name (which some people find heavy going) and conversed as if I had always known him. There was something special about the ordinary way he conducted himself. He had accepted the extreme high and low experiences in his life as nothing more than an occupational hazard. Apollo 13 as the only space flight he ever made.

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This week’s quote is from Carl Sagan

There are many worlds we have never seen before. Only one generation in the history of the human species is privileged to live during the time those great discoveries are first made; that generation is ours.

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Episode 27: Astronomy on the Web

By Gurbir Dated: July 12, 2009 Leave a Comment

A different, interesting and at times a little silly episode this week.

Professor Pamela L Gay from the Southern University Edwardsville Illinois (SUEI) and Swinburne Astronomy Online but you will may be familiar with her voice on the probably most popular Astronomy podcast Astronomy Cast.

This recording was made in Oxford during her visit in March this year.

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This week’s quote is from Anne Morrow Lindberg

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.”

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Episode 26: Antikythera Mechanism

By Gurbir Dated: June 28, 2009 2 Comments

Everyone who comes across the Antikythera mechanism goes through a phase initially of disbelief and then the awe inspiring realisation that something almost from another world actually exists in ours.

Imagine William Shakespeare writing Hamlet using a laptop. Surely a ridiculous proposition he was about 300 years too early for that. He didn’t but today’s topic is just as incredible but thanks to the presence of physical evidence- true.

The bronze department of the Museum in Athens has a small device slightly bigger than a pocket dictionary which has spent 2000 years under the Mediterranean Sea. Its is a hand made hand operated mechanical mechanism which may have looked like a multi handed clock. This remarkably compact device can display the calendar, predict eclipses, illustrate the phase of the moon, indicate the position of most of the planets and even takes account of the precession of the lunar orbit. The mechanism is driven by a collection of precision gear wheels made in Greece about 100 BC and nothing like it would be made again for at least another 1000 years.

My thanks to members of the Manchester Astronomical Society who arranged this visit for Tony Freeth to come and talk to them, and Conway Mothobi of the Manchester Metropolitan University hosting the event where this recording was made.My thanks of course to Tony Freeth for making the time on the day.

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Other videos on Youtube

- Michael Wrights’ working model

- Nature Video: Antikythera Mechanism Part 1

- Nature Video: Antikythera Mechanism Part 2

- X-Ray images of the Antikythera

An excellent version of the Antikythera Mechanism made with Lego.

Episode25:Science and Religion

By Gurbir Dated: June 14, 2009 3 Comments

Science is the product of human intellect, creativity and imagination. It helps answers the profoundest of all questions. Where did life come from? How old is the Earth? What is the structure of the universe? How did humans come to be? As the history of science shows, as it progresses so does the nature, accuracy and reliability the answers to such questions. The scientific picture of the physical world is a provisional and an ever changing one.

Science is not the only way to understand the world and our place within it. Majority of the time humans have existed most of them have been equally content and secure with different answers to the same fundamental questions. For them ancient holly texts provide unambiguous solutions. Science is not needed because it is not required.

The debate between science and religion is as intriguing and contentious today in the 21st century as it has always been. Science progresses by actively challenging its core tenants through the rational exercise of reason. On the other hand religious beliefs have divine origins, don’t require changing and are thus inherently stronger.

There are surprising large number of high profile scientist who are also committed to a particular faith. Perhaps they can shed some light on how they reconcile this apparent contradiction.

Dr Allan Chapman who is not a scientist but a historian of science and a practising Christian with a particular interest in the history of astronomy talks about science and religion. He is the author of several books including biographies on Mary Summerville and Robert Hook. Perhaps he is better known for “Gods in the Sky” and as the presenter the of the three part series of the same name on channel4.

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Episode24:Telescopes before Galileo? Part 2

By Gurbir Dated: July 30, 2008 2 Comments

Chris Lord of Blackpool & District Astronomical Society continues the story of the telescope leading up to its use by Galileo for astronomical observations.

Ibn Sahl and Ibn al-Haythem were two scholars who during the 10th and 11th century developed the fundemental mathematical principles of refraction, reflection and dispersion and kick started the science of optics. Chris concludes this 2nd part at that point in history which marks the beginning of the telescope – Galileo’s profound astronomical discoveries in 1609.

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Episode23:Telescopes before Galileo? Part 1

By Gurbir Dated: July 29, 2008

Hans Lipperhey’s patent application in the Netherlands for a telescope was formally denied on 2nd October 1608. Nonetheless, it is that individual, that place and that date which history associates with the invention of the telescope. Most of us are aware of the fundamental astronomical discoveries Galileo went on to make with it in the following year but could they have been made earlier?

Three thousand years ago, in what today is Iraq , the Nimrud lens now in the British Museum is clearly recognised as a lens. It probably could not have been used as part of an astronomical telescope but it is evidence that strongly indicates that lenses were in use long before Lipperhey and Galileo. The Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria is another illlustration of the advance understanding of optics in ancient times.

Chris Lord is an accomplished amateur astronomer and member of Blackpool & District Astronomical Society. He has recently completed a major piece of research in telescopes and optics to mark the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.

In this Episode, Chris talks about at the theory of vision, optics and the making and use of lenses during the almost two centuries from Euclid to Galileo.

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Episode22:Interstellar Dust

By Gurbir Dated: July 13, 2008 Leave a Comment

As episode 21 indicated, the power of science fiction to motivate the imagination is perhaps as strong as science itself.

1957 is known for the launch of Sputnik but it was also the year that the scientist Fred Hoyle published a science fiction novel called The Black Cloud. One of its readers in Italy would be inspired by it to become an astronomer and embark on a career which involves the scientific study such clouds.

Professor Paola Caselli was that reader and since the autumn of 2007 has been the professor of Astronomy at the University of Leeds where Fred Hoyle had been a student. Her area of interest is the study of those regions of space of dust and gas (“dark clouds”) from which stars and planet eventually form.

Dust comes in many forms – cosmic, cometery and interplanetary dust which is responsible for the zodiacal dust we can see from Earth. Professor Caselli investigates cosmic dust grains (atoms or molecules of Silicon, Magnesium, Carbon and others) which act like magnets and help suck out the volatiles from a dust cloud in the early stages of star formation. Some of these process are probably taking place right now in the recently announced discovery of HL Tau and its associated proto planet HL Tau b.

She will be speaking on “From Interstellar Clouds to Planets: the Universal Factory“at the now famous, Leeds Astromeet on Saturday 15th November at the University of Leeds.

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Episode21:Science, Science Fiction and Astrobiology

By Gurbir Dated: June 28, 2008 Leave a Comment

Professor Mark Brake from the University of Glamorgan has an eclectic interest. An academic, broadcaster and author of science and popular science books, he is the organising chair for the the third conference of the Astrobiology Society of Britain: ASB3: The Living Universe, will take place in Cardiff between July 1-4, 2008. We spoke about the relationship between science & science fiction and astrobiology.

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Episode20:European City of Culture – Astronomy in Liverpool

By Gurbir Dated: June 17, 2008 Leave a Comment

As the European city of Culture, Liverpool has more than its fair share of activities this year. Many have an astronomy connection. In today’s episode Andy Newsam from Liverpool John Moores University, Joanne Coleman from the British Association for the Advancement of Science talks about the Science Festival between 6th and 11th of September and Gary Evans from the sciencephoto library on a unique exhibition of astronomical images called Earth to the Universe which is already underway.

All of these take place in Liverpool as it celebrates its role as the 2008 European City of Culture. Infact, if you do see this in time and are close enough to Liverpool there is in interesting lecture this Thursday 17th June 18:30, Chadwick Lecture Theatre, University of Liverpool. Robert Fosbury, is talking about How Astronomers Image the Sky.

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Episode19:Astronomy Online

By Gurbir Dated: June 8, 2008 Leave a Comment

There are many ways to participate in and learn about astronomy online.

In today’s episode, three examples of how the web is being used to share resources and build communities around Science http://www.sciencefile.org Space http://www.space.co.uk and Astronomy http://www.fedastro.org.uk .

Many astronomical societies are preparing or have already completed a program of speakers for the 2008/9 season. If you are a member I would encourage you exploit one or better still all three resources featured in today’s episode to advertise you societies events. You will be surprised at the visitors who may turn up.

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Episode18:European Space Agency

By Gurbir Dated: June 1, 2008 Leave a Comment

Since the days of Sputnik and Apollo, Space technology has matured to an extent that it is almost a routine commercial activity. China, India and Japan are well established players in addition to USA and Russia. Next year the Virgin Galactic will embark on space tourism. Since its establishment in 1975, the European Space Agency ( ESA) has come a long way. The original 10 founding member countries have now grown to 17 with a broad mission to “Explore Space”. All member countries are European as you would expect – except one. With the same disregard for geography that allows Israel to join the Eurovision song contest, Canada also plays a part in ESA.

ESA has many projects active or in the pipeline and last month initiated an astronauts recruiting program. You have to be from one of the 17 member countries and you can even apply online. David Southwood is the ESA Director of Science. The following conversation with him was recorded at the Space conference.

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Thanks to the guys at space.co.uk (Paul and Martyn) and Cy from speed-of-light.co.uk for the following video.

Episode17:Gamma Ray Astronomy

By Gurbir Dated: May 26, 2008 1 Comment

As the most energetic photons, gamma rays are rare, difficult to observe, require special telescopes & detectors, and not many of them make it to the surface of the earth anyway. So why is gamma ray astronomy important?

Its not an area of astronomy that amateurs usually dip even their big toe in and something entirely new for me. Talking jointly with a Dr Stella Bradbury and Dr Joachim Rose at the department of Physics was a little scary, but turned out to be extremely informative. They spoke about their work at many observatories, including Veritas Array. I spoke to them a couple of weeks ago and you will hear the reference to the launch of Gamma Ray Large Area Telescope (GLAST). That launch has been delayed to June 3rd.

For realtime GRB alerts see here.

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Episode16:Astronomy – A cultural perspective

By Gurbir Dated: May 20, 2008 Leave a Comment

You can’t think of Darwin without Wallace, Laurel without Hardy. In UK astronomy there is no more an enduring and familiar partnership than Henbest and Couper. Nigel and Heather have been writing, broadcasting, supporting and publicising astronomy for decades.

Their most recent project is a series of daily radio programs for BBC Radio4 called Cosmic Quest and an associated book History of Astronomy which together chart the story of how human societies through history and around the globe have attempted to understand the universe and their place within it.

Nigel Henbest – Science Writer from gurbir on Vimeo.

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Episode15:Astrobiology. How did life start on Earth?

By Gurbir Dated: May 11, 2008 Leave a Comment

Astrobiology is the study of life outside the earth. Paradoxically, it is advanced by understanding how life started here on earth. More about Astrobiology in the UK at the Astrobiology Society’s website.

In the famous Miller Urey experiment to discover the origin of life, the experiment did not result in primitive life but succeeded in creating organic molecules from inorganic constituents. The starting point of the Miller and Urey experiments was the chemical composition of the early Earth’s atmosphere. Could meteorites also have given life a helping hand?

In today’s episode, Dr Terry Kee from the School of Chemistry at the University of Leeds talks about the key processes involving Phosphorus that may have been critical in kick-starting life on earth. The type of Phosphorus required for these processes is not found on the surface of the Earth today but is found in Iron meteorites. In a new collaborative project funded by £500,000 grant University of Leeds will investigate the beginning of life on Earth 3.8 billion years ago.

Sorry about the quality of the audio – the recording was made in Dr Kee’s office which apparently was much noisier than I remember:(

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Episode14:Titan

By Gurbir Dated: May 6, 2008 2 Comments

After a 7 year journey, Cassini/ Huygens arrived at Saturn in 2004 and Huygens landed on the surface of Titan on January 14th 2005. The only moon within the solar system known to have a substantial atmosphere.

On Monday 3rd of July 1989 it was possible to study the atmosphere of Titan from here on Earth when it occulted a 5.8mag star 28 Sagittarius. Ken Irving from Salford Astronomical Society describes the observation he made and video recording of the unexpected central flash. Available below.

Using data from the onboard Acoustic Sensor Unit, the Planetary Society compressed Huygens two and half hour descent into a 10 second audio clip.

After landing, Huygens continued to transmit data including those incredible pictures of the surface for another 70 minutes until the communication link to Earth – Cassini disappeared over the horizon. It would not come in range again for 40 days by when Huygens’ batteries were dead. There in its dark cold -180C deep freeze it remains. Probably intact. Professor John Zarnecki from the Open University who lead the Surface Science Package team talk a little about the achievements f the Cassini/Huygens mission.

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Episode13:Rockets

By Gurbir Dated: April 27, 2008 1 Comment

You may have seen the report from the British UK Space Exploration Working Group suggesting that Britain can get two British Astronauts to the Space station costing less than £75m over 5 years by commercially engaging the Russian Soyuz program rather than the annual £60m cost of going with ESA, or indeed developing a British launch capability.

The Astronomer Royal on the other hand insists that unmanned space research is the way to go. You get a heck of a lot more science for your money

Dave and Leslie Wright from the British Rocketry Oral History program (BROHP) reminisce about the early days when Britain had its own launch capability and the UK Space conference that they host each year.

Want to be a rocket Scientist? Well a new book from a rocket scientist Lucy Rogers may be a good start. Lucy is also the chairman of the Vectis Astronomical Society on the isle of Wight. Their website must be one of the most elaborate. Check it out but .. turn down the volume on your PC first.

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Episode12:Journey to the Moon

By Gurbir Dated: April 20, 2008 2 Comments

Posted: April 2008

July 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing in the Sea of Tranquillity on the moon. In today’s episode – assistant director & co-producer Chris Riley talks about the recent film “In the Shadow of the Moon” which recounts that period and someone who was a part of it – astronaut Buzz Aldrin on his interest in Astronomy.

A short written account of his visit including a lunch with him and his wife is here.

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Buzz Aldrin from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode11:Profile#2

By Gurbir Dated: April 14, 2008 Leave a Comment

Its that time of year. Summer time has arrived but not yet.. the summer. Local astronomical societies all over the country are winding down from the previous season and preparing for the next. In today’s episode a little more about two individuals who have been on the speaker list for many astronomical societies. Martin Lunn from Aurora Books and Andy Lound from Odyssey Class Dramatic lectures.

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Episode10:Astronomy and Space Broadcasters

By Gurbir Dated: April 6, 2008 Leave a Comment

The veteran BBC aerospace correspondent Reg Turnill recalls some of the key moments that he personally covered during the height of the space race. Reg has recorded his eye witness account in his book The Moonlandings.

Chris Lintott one of the authors of Bang! and a co-presenters on Sky at Night far too young to have experienced the Apollo program personally, looks forward to the next manned mission to the moon. You have probably heard of Galaxy Zoo but did you know Galaxy Zoo 2 is in the pipeline too.

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Episode9:Early Astronomers

By Gurbir Dated: April 2, 2008 2 Comments

About 20 years after Galileo used the telescope for astronomy, William Crabtree and Jeremiah Horrocks used it to observe a transit of Venus in 1639. Carl Barry and Lilian Fletcher researched documented this unique event. If you missed it a 19mb video here.
Former executive Paul Allen (Allen Telescope Array) from Microsoft and Wayne Rosing (LSST Observatory) from Google are modern examples of private investors in space research.

Emerging from the the industrial revolution in the 19th century Lancashire were two similar individuals who contributed to making large mirrors and large telescopes. James Naysmith and William Lassell.

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Episode8:The Astronomy Centre

By Gurbir Dated: March 23, 2008 Leave a Comment

The Astronomy Centre: If you head east out of the Lancashire town of Bacup along the A681 towards the Yorkshire town of Todmorden, a couple of miles up a snaking undulating road, nestled amongst the green hills, wild flowers and the sheep you see on your left two large astronomical domes. This is the home of the Astronomy Centre.

Founded by Peter Drew, it is the largest dedicated resource for the amatuer astronomers in the country. A not for profit venture, the astronomy centre has been developed and maintained by a diverse team of skilled, dedicated and industrious volunteers.

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Episode7:Profile #1

By Gurbir Dated: March 16, 2008 Leave a Comment

Profile #1: First of occasional episodes profiling individuals who have made a unique contribution in amateur astronomy. In this episode three diverse individuals. Ken Willoughby from West Yorkshire Astronomical Society bringing Apollo astronauts to Pontefract. Astronomy Now’s Mark Armstrong supernova discoverer and Chris Marriott of Skymap.

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Episode6:Amateur Astronomy- the next generation?

By Gurbir Dated: March 9, 2008 Leave a Comment

Amateur Astronomy – the next generation? In the 1960s and 70s astronomy did not have the competition from computer games, internet and TV. That apparently is what is keeping the young people away from participating in astronomy. Guy Fennimore, secretary of the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA), suggests that astronomy is not the only victim and describes the SPA’s “young stargazers initiative”.

Roger Pickard, the president of the British Astronomical Association, recounts the days of committed amateurs who made the telescopes they used and asserts the ongoing strong relationship between amateur and professional astronomers.

This recording took place at Astrofest 2008, apologies for the occasional noisy background.

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Episode 5 : Studying Astronomy

By Gurbir Dated: March 2, 2008 Leave a Comment

Studying Astronomy :Peter Thomas from the the University of London Observatory, Stewart Eyres from the University of Central Lancashire @UCLan and Ulrich Kolb from the Open University discuss some of the options available to amateur astronomers who want a little more structured approach in learning about their hobby.

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Episode4:Astrophotography

By Gurbir Dated: February 24, 2008 Leave a Comment

Astrophotography: Terry Platt from Starlight Express talks about his early days of vidicon and photo multiplier tubes. Terry describes how his passion in astronomy in the 60s resulted in Starlight Express.
About 6 years ago, Steve Chambers came up with a nifty way to rewire a Phillips Toucam webcam so that it could be used by astronomers. Something that cost well under £100 and it could still be used for non Astro purposes as well. Details of the postings were available and still are on the web. It was a mini revolution in low cost astrophotography. Steve has now moved on to bigger and better things with ArtemisCCD

Jonathan Maron in his role as the marketing manager for astronomy cameras at The Imaging Source, describes some of the features of this relatively new source of cameras for astrophotography.

David Ratledge has been observing for decades and is one of the most experienced astrophotographers in the country. He is also the chairman of Bolton Astronomical Society and the editor of Digital Astrophotography – The State of the Art . I spoke to him, via the telephone so excuse the audio quality as he prepared retreat for quiet break .. and no doubt some astrophotraphy.

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Episode3:Astrofest 2008-Part 2

By Gurbir Dated: February 17, 2008 Leave a Comment

This episode – contributions from David Levy, Campaign for dark skies and @UKSEDS

David Levy recounts the momentous event of July 1994 and talks about his current preoccupations. Did you know he has his own podcast called letstalkstars.

David Paul talks about the Campaign for Dark Skies which was established in 1989, what progress has been made and how the amateur astronomy community can still contribute.

Alison Gibbings describes what students do when not attending lectures, no they’re not in the pub. They have got themselves organised take a look at UKSEDS. The website does require an update though.

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Episode2:Astrofest 2008 Part 1

By Gurbir Dated: February 10, 2008 1 Comment

Astrofest is a unique event for amateur astronomers for the UK and Europe. Keith Cooper, Astronomy Now’s editor provides some background to how and when it started. @AstronomyNow

Nik Szymanek an accomplished astrophotographer shares his experiences of capturing some spectacular images. See some of them on his website.

Dr Allan Chapman talks about the tradition of amateur astronomy. He identifies some of the key figures from the past and speculates on its future. Read more about Allan on Wikipedia.

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Episode1:Amateur Astronomy in the 21st Century

By Gurbir Dated: January 20, 2008 Leave a Comment

NASA's MESSENGER Spacecraft: 10 Years in Space | NASA — NASA Messenger

Amateur Astronomy in the 21st Century: Will Comet 17P Holmes brighten again? Is an asteroid heading for an impact on a Mars? Who was the founder of amateur astronomy? How amateur are amateur astronomers these days?

The very first episode of AstrotalkUK. A discussion between Tony O’Sullivan, Ken Irving, from Salford Astronomical Society and Chris Lord on the state of Amateur Astronomy in the 21st Century. More about Chris on his website at Brayebrook Observatory.
Links
Asteroid WD5 2007 heading for Mars?
MESSENGER’s revealing view of Mercury.

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