Emergencies, Unlucky Space Shuttles and Space 2026

Loading player...
Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham are joined by member of the first crew to fix a satellite in orbit, Terry Hart. He discusses this month's Challenger 40th anniversary, and the spy satellite NASA used to check for Shuttle damage. The team also talk space emergencies with the UK Space Agency's senior exploration manager Meganne Christian, and space journalists Ken Kremer and Andrew Cook look ahead to 2026 in space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
19 Jan English United Kingdom Science

Other recent episodes

Apollo 1, Frank De Winne, and Moon Museum

It's the bumper end of year edition featuring the first European Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Frank De Winne. He joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to chat about his two missions, and the future of space exploration. We also meet Mark Craig, the director of the new…
2 Dec 2025 1 hr 09 min

How to build a Moon lander, Eileen Collins, and space quilts

Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham get up-close with a Moon lander taking shape at Astrobotic in Pittsburgh. The first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle, Eileen Collins, discusses a new film about her life: Space Woman. Plus, two new space quilts, complete with UFOs, at the Royal Astronomical…
5 Nov 2025 1 hr 17 min

Life on White Mars, and a new space

One of the most isolated places on Earth is helping us understand how to live on a moon or another planet. Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham spoke to Nina Purvis, at the Concordia Station in Antarctica, about life on 'White Mars'. Former ESA advisor Mark McCaughrean discusses his…
3 Oct 2025 1 hr 12 min

Jim Lovell, space selfies and UK launch

We celebrate Apollo legend Jim Lovell in this month's Space Boffins as we mine the archives to look back on his extraordinary space career. Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham talk to Andy Saunders, NASA photography expert and author of Gemini and Mercury Remastered. We also hear from rival UK rocket…
4 Sep 2025 1 hr 07 min

UK Astronaut, ESA DG and the Forge Awakens

Fresh from the UK Space Conference, Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson hear from UK astronaut Rosemary Coogan on life at the European Space Agency (ESA), and waiting for her first mission. ESA boss Josef Aschbacher talks about Europe's space game and NASA's budget squeeze. Plus, jet packs with…
5 Aug 2025 57 min