AstrotalkUK

Not for profit website/blog on astronomy, space and my writing

  • Home
    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Content
    • Podcast
    • All episodes
    • Book Review
    • Cyber Security
  • Events

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.

Dr Ralph Lorenz

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.



https://media.blubrry.com/astrotalkuk_podcast_feed/astrotalkuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Episode105.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:04 — 50.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

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

https://media.blubrry.com/astrotalkuk_podcast_feed/astrotalkuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Episode104.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:01 — 55.3MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

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.

Dr Connr Nixon

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.

https://media.blubrry.com/astrotalkuk_podcast_feed/astrotalkuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Episode103.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:21 — 28.3MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

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

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 duringĀ COSPAR2022 in Athens, he describes his journey from revealing how the United Kingdom became an island to making sense of martian geology.

https://media.blubrry.com/astrotalkuk_podcast_feed/astrotalkuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Episode103.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:21 — 28.3MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Find me online here

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

subscribe to mailing list and newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Browse by category

Twitter

My Tweets

Recent Comments

  • Episode 109 - The Antikythera Mechanism with Prof Xenophon Moussas - AstrotalkUK on Episode 26: Antikythera Mechanism
  • Missions To Be on the Lookout for During the 2020s – My Company on Episode 90 – An update on ISRO’s activities with S Somanath and R Umamaheshwaran
  • Apprendre les Radioamateurs - Radio club du BorinageRadio club du Borinage on Amateur Radio – Learning Under Lockdown
  • Gurbir on Categories
  • Desmond Welch on Categories

Archives

Select posts by topic

apollo Astrophotography BIS Book Review CCSK China Cloud Computing cnsa comet commercial Cosmology curiosity cyber Education ESA Gagarin History India Infosec ISRO jaxa Mars Media Moon NASA podcast Rakesh Sharma rocket Rockets Roscosmos saturn Science Science Fiction seti Solar System soviet space space spaceflight space race spacerace telescope titan USSR video Vostok

Copyright © 2008–2023 Gurbir Singh - AstrotalkUK Publications Log in

 

Loading Comments...