Space, Spaceflight, UK Space Industry

So you want to be an astronaut: Europe Edition!

ESA opens Astronaut Applications Earlier this month, ESA (the European Space Agency… thankfully the UK remains a part of ESA despite Brexit!) announced they would be opening astronaut applications for the first time since 2008! Although I can’t apply, this is still incredibly exciting- so I immediately signed up to attend the press conference… and… Continue reading So you want to be an astronaut: Europe Edition!

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Physics, SciComm, Space

What is Inspiration 4?

Although it was announced at the beginning of February, the mission shot to public attention after an out of this world commercial at the superbowl. So, what is it?   Inspiration 4 will be the first fully commercial, all civilian, orbital crewed space mission!  Let’s break down what this actually means: Fully Commercial: means that unlike… Continue reading What is Inspiration 4?

SciComm, Space, UK Space Industry

So you want to work in the space industry- UK edition!

When you think of space, the organisation that immediately springs to mind is NASA, and then probably SpaceX. But for those of us who don’t live in the US, the fact that a lot of the big companies and funding for space research are found there is more than a little disheartening, especially when you… Continue reading So you want to work in the space industry- UK edition!

Space, Spaceflight

The Decade in Spaceflight

Rocket technology has come a long way since the start of the decade, with the rise of commercial spaceflight and integration of public and private agencies. It began with the end of an era. The space shuttle program was NASA’s longest running mission series, with its first launch way back in 1981. The program was… Continue reading The Decade in Spaceflight

Space

The Decade in Space Exploration

This decade has perhaps been the most pivotal since the 1960s/70s, in terms of space exploration, both crewed and uncrewed! (to read more about the development of human spaceflight, click here) We maintained our continuous presence in space, with 41 missions to the International Space Station, ranging in length between 64 days and a year!… Continue reading The Decade in Space Exploration

Space, Spaceflight

The Artemis Generation

50 years ago, the world was awestruck as the space race fuelled innovation at a speed not yet seen before, resulting in the first human setting foot on the moon just a decade after the first satellite was launched! But as the cold war and  threat of nuclear attack fizzled out with the fading US-Russia… Continue reading The Artemis Generation

Space, Spaceflight

Why is Mars so hard to land on?

This summer is chock-full of exciting missions to Mars, with China’s Tianwen-1 and the UAE’s Hope orbiter already en route to Mars, and NASA’s Mars 2020 set to launch on July 30th. ESA was also meant to launch its Rosalind Franklin Exomars rover, but that was delayed to 2022 earlier this year. I’ll talk more… Continue reading Why is Mars so hard to land on?

Space, Spaceflight

The Evolution of the Spacesuit

Spacesuits are a personal lifeboat for astronauts- a few millimetre thick layer between the extreme vacuum of space and survival.  First up, what is a spacesuit? Essentially, they are a personal space station! They have air to breathe, strong fabric/seams to keep the air in and maintain pressure, water to stay hydrated (& a ‘space… Continue reading The Evolution of the Spacesuit

Images of triton and venus against a pink nebula, titled NASA's Next adventure
Space

NASAs Next Adventure

NASA recently announced 4 potential missions to explore our solar system, as part of their Discovery Program, which aims to increase our understanding of the solar system! Each of the proposed missions have been granted $3 million to investigate their scientific value and feasibility. Can you guess where they are going? Rocket Launch via Space.com… Continue reading NASAs Next Adventure