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Cybersecurity, History of Britain in Space and Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 visit to London and Manchester – Zoom Sessions. Free

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Starting on Monday 18th May 2020, I will be running three live sessions using Zoom for the Workers’ Educational Association. They are all free, introductory and have no prerequisites. They are organised by the WEA so applicants have to be based in the UK and at least 19 years old. To join/enrol see links and a brief description below.

11:15 -13:15 Monday 18th May 2020. Basic cybersecurity. C3844330 Staying Safe Online

  • Understand basic concepts of being secure online including Social Engineering, Phishing and multi-factor authentication.
  • Recognise the importance of basic security controls including automatic software updates, antivirus solution and good password management.  
  • Become familiar with and make use of authoritative online sources for cybersecurity information and tools

11:15 -13:15 Wednesday 20th May. The story of Britain’s space programme. C3844331 Britain in Space

  • Early rocketry Societies in England
  • Development of British Ballistic Missile & Nuclear Tests in Australia
  • Launch Satellite of Black Arrow & satellite Prospero from Woomera
  • British Astronauts Helen Sharman & Tim Peake
  • UK Spaceports
  • Virgin Galactic & Orbit
  • SSTL and Skylon

11:15 -13:15 Friday 22nd May 2020. Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. C3844333 The Day the cosmonaut came to Manchester

This presentation is based on my 2011 book – Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. It will cover

  • Gagarin’s achievement?
  • What was he like as an individual?
  • Why he came to Britain?
  • Where in London and Manchester he went and who he met?
  • Legacy of his visit?

India’s Forgotten Rocket Rocket Pioneer

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New Book – Now available

India's Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

If you are in the UK or Europe, you may be interested in signed copies direct from the author. Time-limited offer – 33% discount code of YYFEP4DR at checkout here. This code will not work on the links below.

The book is available globally via Amazon (ebook if you have a Kindle as well paperback).

Ebooks for other platforms are also available (Apple, Nook Barnes & Noble etc).

If you are based in India, please use www.pothi.com
ebooks here
paperback here
hardback here.

Yuri Gagarin in Manchester

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April 12th 2020 marks the 59th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic spaceflight. Gagarin received numerous invitations from around the world and Britain after his successful spaceflight. Exactly three months later he came to manchester.

Mr Yarotsky, Counsellor of the Soviet Embassy in London noted that “Gagarin had received invitations from over fifty individuals and organisations in this country including the mayor of Newcastle, several trades unions and British Interplanetary Society.” 


Yuri Gagarin arriving at Manchester Town Hall (Courtesy Fred Ritchie)

The 5 nights Gagarin spent in Britain were all in the USSR embassy in London. He spent all of his time in London with the exception to a day-trip to Manchester on Wednesday 12th July.

He accepted the invitation from the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers and visited their HQ in Old Trafford in Manchester. Followed by a trip to Metropolitan Vickers in Trafford Park and a civic reception in the Town Hall where Bernard Lovell from Jodrell bank was also in attendance.

This was his only visit outside London.

Gagarin in Britain: Timeline 

Tuesday 11th July
10:30 Arrival at Heathrow
11:45 Soviet Embassy
15:00 Press conference in Fashion Hall Earl’s Court
16:15 BIS medal award at end of the press conference
16:30 Leave Earl’s Court
17:30 Evening reception at Soviet Embassy

Wednesday 12th July
10:00 Arrival at Ringway airport in Manchester
10:45 AUFW Medal Ceremony
12:45 Manchester Town Hall
16:30 Arrived at the airport for his return flight to London

Thursday 13th July
11:00 Mansion House – Lord Mayor of London
11:45 Tower of London – Gv. Sir Thomas Butler
13:20 Burlington House – Royal Society
15:00 Return to USSR Embassy
15:45 Meet PM at Admiralty House
16:30 Air Ministry in Whitehall – Secretary of State for Air
18:00 Hyde Park Hotel GB USSR Association
19:30 Muscovites-Association cancelled. Sightseeing tour instead
22:15 Back at USSR Embassy

Friday 14th July
12:50 Buckingham Palace
14:45 Soviet Embassy
15:30 Earl’s Court
16:00 Highgate Cemetery
16:40 Soviet Embassy – British Soviet Friendship Society
21:00 Earl’s Court Live BBC TV interview (at 21:30) from
Earl’s Court with Richard Dimbleby, Tom Margerison, science editor of the Sunday Times, and Yuri Fokin of the Soviet Television Service
22:15 Soviet Embassy

Saturday 15th July
11:00 Leave Soviet Embassy for Airport
11:45 Press conference at London Heathrow
12:35 Depart for the Soviet Union

India’s current space activities

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Want to know a bit more about space activities in India? Listen to Chris Alvarez interviewing me for an episode on spacewalksmoneytalks.com. In a wide-ranging discussion, we speak about India’s private space sector, International collaboration, Anti-satellite test, Human Spaceflight and India’s plans for science missions to explore the Sun, Venus and return to Mars.

Chris also provides a handy timeline in text. So you can jump quickly to topics of interest.