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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.
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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.

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Gagarin – Pilot Cosmonaut

By Gurbir Dated: March 23, 2011 Leave a Comment

On Saturday 26th March 2011 Barton Airfield is having a “Barton Airfield History Open day”. I will be speaking about “Gagarin the Pilot Cosmonaut” between 16:00 and 17:00. It is a free event but may have to pay £1.00 (all day) for the car park. Looking forward to this,  did some of my initial flight training there, many, many years ago.

The venue is Melvin’s Café Bar adjacent to the car park at Barton air field just 5 miles from Manchester City Centre. If you are in the area – stop by.

Barton Airfield Heritage Society (See on Google Maps)
Barton Aerodrome
Liverpool Road
Eccles
Manchester
M30 7SA

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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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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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