AstrotalkUK

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

Episode 69: Mars Orbiter Mission

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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.

ISROThis 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

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IMG_3306This 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 the Earth’s 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 in designing 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 the Apollo 15 mission but was unveiled at the Museum in June 2013 by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. 

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

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Episode 66: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

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November 21st 2013, was the 50th anniversary of a rocket launched from India into space. The launch itself was an all-Indian affair, but with significant international support. The rocket was American, carried a French Sodium Vapour payload, and was 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 in 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 played a central role throughout the development of India’s most reliable launcher – the  Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

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India and Space

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November 21st 2013 marks 50 years of the Indian space program. From humble beginnings devoid of infrastructure, experience or trained engineers, India today has an established track record of designing, building and launching satellites for its own national needs and commercially for others.

The next few podcast offer a glimpse of the people and achievements of this half a century old story .. so far.

Episode 62: An interview with Amrita Shah from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Author of the most comprehensive biography on Vikram Sarabhai (Vikram Sarabhai :  A Life). Book review of this fascinating book here.

Episode 63: Rakesh Sharma – India’s only spaceman. A video interview recorded in August 2013 where Rakesh Sharma talks about his spaceflight, its aftermath and his views on human spaceflight. Two minute trailer below.

Episode 64 – Bangalore Astronomical Society. Probably the most productive amateur astronomical society in India with a huge presence online and thus an international footprint.

Episode 65 – Professor UR Rao. A look back at the contribution of former ISRO chairman who was originally recruited in to the Indian Space program by Vikram Sarabhai. Whilst working at NASA in the early 1960s, a cosmic ray scientist Rao worked on several Pioneer and Explore spacecraft. Rao was in Dallas waiting to meet Kennedy on that fateful day…

Episode 66 –  Interview with director at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre originally known as Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station. TERLS was the site of India’s first rocket launch in to space on 21st November 1963.

Rakesh Sharma two minute trailer