AstrotalkUK

Astrophotographer Nik Szymanek shares his unique perspective on how astrophotography has evolved since the 1980s when he first started. We speak about software and robotic telescopes @telescopelivehq @APinSpain & @astronomynow get a mention.

Following an unexpected meeting with USA's first Astronaut, Alan Shepard in around 1962. In this episode he recounts a Moon-Bounce experiments with @Nasa.

Since the beginning of human civilisation, people have looked up at the night sky and wondered – are we alone? Science and technology of the 20th century has made it possible to try to address that question. So how is are we doing? With Jill Tarter from @SETIInstitute

The latest book from author Brian Harvey @BrianHarveyAut1, this is probably the first English language analysis of the individuals, institutions and early space projects that would eventually lead,  not just France, but Europe to its status as a leader in designing, building and operating complex space infrastructure. 

How has the ¢SETI evolved over the last 6 decades and especially what can modern technology allow today that was not possible then? With Jill Tarter from @SETIInstitute

On 14th January 2005, the Huygens probe landed on Titan. Saturns and the solar systems largest Moon. This was a joint NAS/ESA mission called Cassini-Huygens. Whilst Huygens landed on Titan, Cassini continued to orbit Saturn. Professor John Zarnecki, the prinicpal investigator for the Surface Science Package, recalls the experience of that mission and what we learnt about Titan then and since.

The idea of Panspermia, that life exists throughout the universe and spreads via asteroids, comets and cosmic dust, has been around for a long time. Two of the strongest advocates were Professor Fred Hoyle and Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe.

In 1994, Narayan Nambi 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. The post Episode 91 – ISRO and the Spy who was not appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

This interview with S Somanath (director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) and R Umamaheshwaran (Scientific Secretary) was recorded on 24th October 2019 during the International Astronautical Congress in Washington DC. It was not focused on a specific theme but rather an update on all things ISRO - current and future activities. The post Episode 90 – An update on ISRO’s activities with S Somanath and R Umamaheshwaran appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

This audio recording captures most of the Q&A that took place on Monday 21st October #IAC2019. The audio quality is variable. The agencies represented included #isro #nasa #jaxa #china #Russia The post IAC2019 Heads of Space Agency – Press Conference appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

In his 1979 novel, Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C Clarke imagines a cable stretching from the Earth's equator to Geosynchronous orbit. He called it a "space elevator" and imagined it would be constructed from continuous pseudo-one-dimensional diamond crystals. Bangalore based NoPo Technologies is now commercially producing Carbon Nanotubes. Could this material, one day be used to construct Clarke's space elevator? The post Episode 89 – Carbon Nanotubes appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

As in other nations, the private space sector is now emerging in India. One name that pops up when discussing private and commercial space in India is Narayanan Prasad The post Episode 88 – India’s Private Space Sector appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Dr David Baker has been involved with the USA since childhood. First attending a US school in England and then studying in the US under a scholarship program sponsored by Senator Clinton P Anderson. He returned to the USA and worked for NASA on various programs from Gemini to the SpaceShuttle. After leaving NASA, he […] The post Episode 87 – Apollo Era recollections of a Brit working in NASA appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing was a momentous event and expected to be marked by numerous publications. Most books cover the technologies, events, personal recollections and politics of the first human voyage to another world. One book jointly authored by an art historian and an astronomer has a fresh perspective. The guests […] The post Episode 86 – Moon: Art, Science, Culture appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Brian Harvey is a Dublin based writer who has authored more than 14 books the space programmes of USSR/Russia, USA, India, Korea Japan and China. He has a deep understanding of the motivations and politics as well as the space technology that has emerged. The post Episode 85 – Russia’s Space programme with Brian Harvey appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

GovernEye and is designed to facilitate democratic engagement by allowing voters elected politician and all stakeholders. @GovernEye founder Anant Ahuja talks about how Governeye works and what motivated it. The post Enabling democracy through an App? appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Why has NASA not been able to launch American astronauts to space on American rockets since 2011? What is the SLS and the Gateway? Will China and US cooperate in space? The post Episode 84: NASA after the Shuttle. SLS and The Gateway appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Astrotalkuk.org - Episode 83 - India's Human Spaceflight Programme. R Umamaheswaren talks about @ISRO Human Space Flight Programme #gaganyaan and thinks the chances of a woman as a member of the first crew "highly likely". recorded at #IAC2018 The post Episode 83: India’s Human Spaceflight Programme with R Umamaheswaran appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

A conversation with Prof. Fujimoto Masaki about @JAXA current and future plans to explore the inner solar system and #samplereturn missions. Recorded in Bremen just after #IAC2018 The post Episode 82: Jaxa and International Collaboration with Professor Fujimoto Masaki appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Astrotalkuk.org. Episode 81 - United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA# talks about some of UNOOSA's current projects. recorded during #IAC2018 The post Episode 81: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Astrotakuk.org Episode 80. S. Somnath joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala in 1985 and today he is its director. Recorded at #IAC2018 The post Episode 80 – S Somnath Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Astrotalkuk.org - Episode 79 satsearch.co A digital marketplace for the global space supply chain? With @satsearchco. Recorded at #iac2018. The post Episode 79: satsearch.co – A single digital marketplace for the global space supply chain? appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Mr Kiran Kumar studied physics, physical engineering and electronics in educational institutions in India including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. He specialised in electro-optical imaging systems and in 1975 was recruited by Dr Yash Pal (one of a few key individuals who played a pivotal role in the early days of India’s space […] The post Episode 78: ISRO’s early Earth Observation Cameras with former chairman Mr Kiran Kumar appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Sven Grahn has been working in the space field in one way or another for over fifty years. Officially retired, he continues to work as a project leader of a student satellite at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He is perhaps best known for his work in tracking satellites launched by the secretive […] The post Episode 77: Satellite tracking – the early days appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

One of the earliest characteristics of human civilisation (large populations living together in organised cities) was the creation of rules or laws that everyone who lived there agreed to abide by. The 50th anniversary of first humans to visit the Moon is celebrated later this year. In 1968 it was pretty much just two countries and […] The post Episode 76: Space law appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

One mission two spacecraft, China is going back to the Moon with Chang’E 4 mission that I think is the most exciting lunar mission since the 1970s. By the end of 2018, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) will launch Chang’E 4 that will explore the far side of the Moon with a lander and a […] The post Episode 75: China -back to the Moon with Chang’ E 4 appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Space, as the author Douglas Adams said “is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is”. After 6 decades of launching spacecraft, some orbits are now congested with space debris from collisions and poor end-of-life mission management. This has now become a serious hazard and even a danger to operational […] The post Episode 74: Space Debris and Sustainable use of Space appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

If you follow this podcast, you will notice a very long pause since the previous episode. I have been busy writing my second book, the Indian Space Programme which is now finally complete. So I am now back to my familiar but irregular podcasting mode. The growth in the space sector now widely estimated to […] The post Episode 73: Using Commercial Of the Shelf (COTs) Components to build spacecraft appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Its been a while since I posted episode 72.  Now that the book The Indian Space Programme has been published, I am resuming the podcasting. You can see some Amazon Reviews and if you have one, add your own too. More about that book on this short BBC radio interview here. . If you want you can subscribe to my monthly […] The post Quick Update appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Located about 80km from Chennai on India's east coast, Satish Dhawan Space centre is used by ISRO to launch all of its satellites including those to the Moon and Mars. Also known as Sriharikota, it was established during the late 1960s but today it has a vehicle assembly building, two launch pads and a state of the art mission control centre The post Episode 72: Satish Dhawan Space Centre appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

The Indian Space Program was initiated by a brilliant nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha who pretty much immediately handed over the space program to Vikram Sarabhai. Bhabha himself pursued the goal of bringing institutionalised fundamental research to India. At the time he saw that as essential for the new emerging independent India. The post Episode 71: TATA Institute for Fundamental Research appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

India’s space program is now over half a century old. During this time its Infrastructure has evolved. This episode looks at the current communication capabilities used to support space vehicles during launch, in Earth orbit or on a interplanetary missions. ISRO has an extensive network of ground stations on the Indian mainland, off-shore and neighbouring countries […] The post Episode 70: India’s Deep Space Network and ISRO Satellite Centre appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Interview recorded at ISRO's satellite Centre in Bangalore with Mars Orbiter Mission program director Dr Mylswamy Annadurai. This interview was recorded on 26th March 2014 after MOM was launched but before it arrived at Mars. The post Episode 69: Mars Orbiter Mission appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Contribution of Stephen H Smith to development of rocketry and the Anglo Indian community in India of which he is a member. The post Episode 68: Stephen H Smith – India’s forgotten rocketeer appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

This 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 […] The post Episode 67: Technik Museum Speyer appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

November 21st 2013 was the 50th anniversary of a rocket launched from India in to space. The launch itself was an all Indian affair but with lots of international support. The rocket was American, carried a French Sodium Vapour payload with assisted by a computer and a helicopter from the Soviet Union. From this meagre […] The post Episode 66: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

The Indian Space Research Organisation formally came in to being in 1972. By then, India had been developing its space program for almost a decade. The first launch to space from Indian soil was a two stage Nike-Apache rocket supplied by USA with a  sodium  payload from France. The rocket delivered a vertical trail of sodium […] The post Episode 65: ISRO – The early years appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

  Another episode in the current series about space and India. Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS) is probably the most industrious astronomical societies in India. Founded in 2006, it has nearly 200 paid up members based in and around Bangalore but a huge number of national and international followers online. In this episode, BAS president Naveen Nanjundappa, […] The post Episode 64: Bangalore Astronomical Society appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

With a population of 1.2 billion people, India has just one national with first hand experience of spaceflight. Rakesh Sharma, a now retired Indian Air Force wing commander in 1984 spent eight days in space aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7. This account of his spaceflight was recorded at this home in the Nilgris […] The post Episode 63: Rakesh Sharma India’s first and only spaceman appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Vikram Sarabhai  is unanimously accepted across India as the “father” of its space program. Not really known well outside India, he died suddenly and prematurely at age of 52 in 1971. He had studied cosmic ray physics and gained his PHD from Cambridge in 1947 the same year India became an independent nation.  He spent […] The post Episode 62: Vikram Sarabhai appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

A short interview with Jim Revis recorded in London on 24th April during InfoSec 2013. In this interview Jim talks about the evolving definition of of Cloud Computing, the CSA’s Star Registry, CSA’s Cloud Computing Security Knowledge certification and his take on how cloud Computing has been and is evolving. During the interview, Jim refers […] The post Jim Reavis – Cloud Security Alliance appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Like so many in the “space community” I was saddened to hear of the passing of Reg Turnill. He was  the BBC’s aerospace correspondent but is  best known  for covering the American Space program  throughout the 60s and 70s that he documents so well in his book Moonlandings: An eye witness account. He was the […] The post Episode 61: Reg Turnill on Wernher von Braun appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global science and engineering project to build a revolutionary new radio telescope with extraordinary scientific ambitions. With funding from ten nations the building of the SKA will start in 2016 and be fully operational in 2024. It will tackle some of the profoundest questions of cosmology associated with […] The post Episode 60: Square Kilometre Array appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

If you have ever been to London and used the underground Tube service, it may well have been driven by the speaker in this episode. That is his day job but Nik Szymanek  is one of Britain’s best known astrophotographers. This interview was recorded during National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Manchester in 2012. […] The post Episode 59: Astrophotograpy appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

The first  interview in this episode is with astronaut Joe Engle was recorded during his visit to the UK in 2008.   Joe Engle was at the front of the queue  to go to the Moon when NASA cut its Apollo program. His place was taken by the geologist Harrison Schmitt on Apollo 17 – the last manned […] The post Episode 58: Astronauts Joe Engle and Ron Garan appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Launched 15 years ago today, the Cassini Huygens mission has been one of the outstanding successes of solar system exploration and a model of NASA ESA collaboration. In episode 14 Professor John Zarnecki spoke about the science conducted from the surface of Titan by the Huygens lander in January 2005. The European Space Agency’s Huygens probe had […] The post Episode 57: 15 October 2012 – Cassini Huygens Mission appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

As the dinosaurs on the Earth 64 million years ago discovered, comets and asteroids have the potential for unexpected arrival with devastating consequences. The spectacular collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in July 1994 dramatically raised awareness and no doubt a little concern amongst the heads of governments across the planet. Since then, the […] The post Episode 56: 7th October 2012 – SpaceguardUK appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

When I speak to anyone in a time zone with a 12 hours difference and in opposite hemispheres it implies we are about as far as two people on the planet can be. You can play or download the recording at the bottom of this page. Ben is known for amongst other things, as the […] The post Ben Kepes – Future of Cloud Computing appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Since the mid 1970s six spacecraft (Viking 1 & 2, Sojourner, Opportunity, Spirit and Phoenix)  have successfully landed on the surface of Mars. In probably the most audacious, breathtaking and risky space missions, in less than two days, another  Mars Curiosity Rover will arrive on Mars. Using a technique never used before, NASA has described […] The post Episode 55: 4 August 2012: Mars Curiosity Rover appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

Mars Curiosity landing in a nutshell (less than 3 minutes audio below)  by Dr Anita Sengupta  from the Entry Decent & Landing and Advanced Technologies group at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Full interview in Episode 55 – tomorrow.               The post Mars Curiosity’s seven minutes of terror – in less than 3 minutes appeared first on AstrotalkUK.

The August 2012 edition of Spaceflight, the monthly magazine from the British Interplanetary Society carried an article where I discuss the Northwest of England’s contribution in Rocketry during the 1930s. An extended version of that article is available for free download on Astrotalkuk.org – here. So on to today’ episode. In 1937, two teenagers Harry […] The post Episode 54: 23 July 2012 – Manchester Interplanetary Society and Stanley Davis appeared first on AstrotalkUK.