

Space Boffins, from the Naked Scientists
Richard Hollingham, Sue Nelson
Publishing monthly, Space Boffins brings you cutting edge conversation and debate about the past, present and future of space science.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 9, 2013 • 32min
Britain's First Official Astronaut
A full, frank and funny interview with Tim Peake, Richard goes inside NASA's 'crazy ideas', and Sue meets with 'astrogirls'. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 9, 2013 • 34min
Dodging Space Harpoons
Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham dodge space harpoons, discuss whether Mars One will encourage Big Brother in space and report from the Mojave desert on why risk is encouraged at its spaceport. Recorded on location at Astrium, Europe's largest space company, engineer Katherine Bennell and space scientist Ralph Cordey join the Space Boffins to demonstrate how to remove space junk with a flying harpoon. Interview guests include Mars One's Bas Lansdorp, as well as the CEO of the Mojave Air and Space port Stuart Witt, plus David Masten, founder of Masten Space Systems. ... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 9, 2013 • 34min
Solar Science and Space Planes
Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham are reduced to tears of laughter by Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden, enlightened by studio guest and space scientist Dr Lucie Green, and XCOR's Jeff Greason meets Richard in the Mojave Desert to discuss the risks of flying in their new space plane. Kate Arkless-Gray also discusses her progress on securing a seat on XCOR's space plane in the Lynx Space Challenge and the attempts to get more women applying, resulting in Sue deciding to enter and become one of the lucky astronaut winners herself. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mar 10, 2013 • 30min
The First Phone in Space
Comets, Mars and the first phone in space are featured in the latest Space Boffins podcast. Recorded at the Royal Astronomical Society in London, Richard and Sue are joined by Rosetta mission scientist Andy Morse and astronomer Robert Massey. They also talk to one of the engineers behind the first smartphone in orbit and to senior scientists from NASA about future missions to the Red Planet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 10, 2013 • 34min
Methane on Mars and Meeting Astronauts
Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham meet British astronaut Tim Peake at the British Interplanetary Society. They are joined by space scientist Jane MacArthur, whose methane experiment is currently being tested on a Mars simulation in Morocco, and Ralph Timberlake on the future of the British Interplanetary Society as it celebrates its 80th year. Add on a report on Kicksat and sprites from NASA Ames in California, and Professor Michele Dougherty - whose team discovered Enceladus' icy plumes - and you have another spacetacular podcast. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 10, 2013 • 38min
Don't Panic! Keeping Your Cool in Space
This month in Space Boffins: why space can seriously damage your health, the cameras being installed on the Space Station to give live views of Earth and crisis management tips from an Apollo 13 Flight Director. Richard and Sue are joined by long duration spaceflight expert Kevin Fong and blogger Kate Arkless Gray (SpaceKate), who looks ahead to an exciting year in space exploration. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 10, 2012 • 34min
Space Boffins on the ISS
This month in the Space Boffins podcast: a tour of the International Space Station, an Apollo astronaut and the mission to the edge of the Solar System. Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson are joined by comedian Helen Keen and writer David Baker to discuss living in space, one way trips to Mars and a return to the Moon. Also featuring a mystery sound, the noises of Earth and the politics of space toilets. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 10, 2012 • 29min
Houston, we have a Podcast
This time the award winning Space Boffins podcast comes from Houston to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the last man on the Moon. Richard visits the Apollo 17 capsule and talks to an Apollo veteran, while Sue hears why we should go back to the Moon. Also, flying a phone in space - the competition hots up - and how Gemini astronauts became good at housekeeping. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 9, 2012 • 30min
Space Boffins Search for ET
The Space Boffins Podcast comes to you this month from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in Silicon Valley California and features the search for life and Earth 2.0. Richard talks to SETI's Senior Astronomer, Sue reports from the recent ESA Tweetup in Berlin and hears about a new mission to the Moon. Also this time, Richard lands the Space Shuttle and listen out for the remixed Space Boffins jingle... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 9, 2012 • 30min
Mars InSights, rings around Saturn and satellite docking games...
Curiosity had barely scratched the surface of Mars when NASA announced another new mission to the red planet. It's called InSight and Dr Tom Pike, from Imperial College London, will be part of the team. He joins Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Kate Arkless-Gray, along with Mapping Mars author Oliver Morton, to discuss the future of planetary exploration on one of our nearest neighbours. Also this month, how to use a Kinect games console to help dock satellites with news of Strand-2. Plus, as all things Mars threatens to overshadow other planets in our Solar System, Luke Dones from the South... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists