AstrotalkUK

Not for profit podcast. Astronomy, Deep Space Exploration and International Collaboration

Episode 101: UNOOSA – Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

By Leave a Comment

Niklas Hedman
Acting Director UNOOSA

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:26 — 70.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Episode 100: Sandra Benitez Herrera – ESA Education Outreach

By 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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:08 — 31.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Episode 96: Seti – The search so far with Jill Tarter

By Leave a Comment

Allen Telescope Array. Source Seti.org

The Earth is one ordinary planet among many orbiting one typical sun among many in an unremarkable galaxy, the Milky Way, one of countless galaxies in an ever-expanding universe.

Since the beginning of human civilisation, people have looked up at the night sky and wondered – are we alone? The science and technology of the 20th century have 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 the 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.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:04 — 28.1MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Episode 91: ISRO and the Spy who was not

By Leave a Comment

Nambi Narayan

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:52 — 67.9MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More