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Space Boffins, from the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins, from the Naked Scientists

Publishing monthly, Space Boffins brings you cutting edge conversation and debate about the past, present and future of space science.

Episodes

Virgin flight, rocket engines and a Moonbase

May 30, 2026 • 57 mins

Space traveller Trevor Beattie joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to describe his obsession with space and flight in Virgin Galactic's space plane. The Space Boffins also discuss NASA's new Moonbase plans and Richard chats to rocket scientist Helen Lewin about the incredible RS-25 rocket. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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Artemis II launch and two Sians

April 5, 2026 • 56 mins

Richard Hollingham is at the Kennedy Space Center for the (historic) launch of Artemis II to the Moon. Sue Nelson joins him from Space Boffins HQ to hear Richard's launch day audio diary and interviews with astronaut Sian Proctor and Artemis engineer Sian Cleaver from Airbus. Plus Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman answers a listener question, and NASA (or Nasa) head Jared Isaacman answers Richard's question on Earthrise. Like this ...

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Artemis II, Dallas Campbell and Smile

March 22, 2026 • 59 mins

Broadcaster and author Dallas Campbell joins Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to discuss NASA's new plans for Artemis, space culture, Alien and Clangers. Sue also meets the UK team working on the joint European and Chinese space weather mission, Smile. Plus, we hear from the producer/directors of the new Project Hail Mary film and Sue reveals what she thinks about it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting t...

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Mission Control, Starliner and Space Factories

February 26, 2026 • 61 mins

How do you control a spacecraft on the way to the Moon? NASA flight director, Fiona Antkowiak, shares plans for the Artemis II mission and reveals the secrets of Mission Control. We also hear what goes on in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) from MER lead Trey Perryman; Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham discuss the 'type A mishap' that befell the Starliner mission, and Sue talks to UK companies Space Forge and Bio Orbit about...

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Emergencies, Unlucky Space Shuttles and Space 2026

January 19, 2026 • 70 mins

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...

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Apollo 1, Frank De Winne, and Moon Museum

December 2, 2025 • 69 mins

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, working together in space and the future of space exploration. We also meet Mark Craig, the director of the new Apollo 1 movie, visit a Moon museum in Pittsburgh and get emotional in a Wally Funk themed exhibition. All that plu...

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

November 5, 2025 • 77 mins

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 Society... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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Life on White Mars, and a new space

October 3, 2025 • 72 mins

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 new book, 111 Places in Space That You Must Not Miss, and companies ClearSpace, Astroscale and Orbit Fab explain their plans to clean up in ...

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Jim Lovell, space selfies and UK launch

September 4, 2025 • 66 mins

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 companies Skyrora and Orbex, plus Emily Dineley from the UK Space Agency on plans for the first UK vertical launch. Like this podcast? ...

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UK Astronaut, ESA DG and the Forge Awakens

August 5, 2025 • 55 mins

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 the Smithsonian's Jennifer Lavasseur and a Sat Cave update from Space Forge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting ...

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NASA cuts, water mission and Skylab

June 28, 2025 • 73 mins

Will China now get to the Moon first? NASA's former head of science, Thomas Zurbuchen, joins Space Boffins to discuss the proposed cuts to NASA's science budget. Richard visits SSTL to see an innovative European Space Agency mission, HydroGNSS, that uses satellite navigation signals to measure water from space. And authors Bruce McCandless III and Emily Carney share stories and songs from their new book, Star Bound, and talk Gemini...

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Factories in space, ET, and a space paraglider

May 28, 2025 • 48 mins

Could factories in space be the future of manufacturing? Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham meet the head of the UK company, Space Forge, about to launch a (very small) factory into orbit. Sue also visits a new exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London exploring whether life could exist elsewhere in the universe, and the weird 1960s design that could have seen astronauts return to Earth on a paraglider... Like...

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Two astronauts and a Shuttle

May 10, 2025 • 69 mins

Dinner chat on the space station, landing in the Shuttle and flying with William Shatner! Hosts Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham chat to NASA astronaut Nicole Stott about painting in space and whether we should send politicians into orbit! They also visit Space Shuttle Discovery in Washington to meet curator Jennifer Levassuer, Sue talks to Blue Origin astronaut Chris Boshuizen who pioneered phones in space, and the proposed NASA ...

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HALO, Gateway and Vigil

April 6, 2025 • 53 mins

It's all about returning to the Moon and protecting the Earth this time with Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham. Sue goes to Thales Alenia Space in Italy to see HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) - the first completed module for NASA's orbiting lunar space station, Gateway and a mock up of Europe's planned lunar IHAB module. We also hear about the ESA mission Vigil to improve space weather forecasts... Like this p...

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Biomass, living on Mars, and incoming asteroids!

February 26, 2025 • 59 mins

Incoming! NASA's acting head of planetary defence, Kelly Fast, discusses asteroids, YR2 and how to protect our planet. The UK Space Agency's head of Earth Observation and Climate, Beth Greenaway, and chief scientist, Shaun Quegan, discuss the upcoming European Biomass mission to measure how much carbon is being stored in tropical forests. And Kelly Weinersmith - co-author of A City On Mars - explains why living on the red planet wi...

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NASA, the BBC and the Soviet spacecraft on the Isle of Man

January 27, 2025 • 70 mins

This month, recently-retired BBC space correspondent, Jonathan Amos, and former NASA employee Herb Baker, author of From Apollo to Artemis: Stories from my 50 years with NASA, discuss reporting from a rocket launch, growing up with classmates whose dads are Apollo astronauts, and how material Herb's mother used to fix an aircon unit at home helped her save a Skylab mission. Plus, Richard sees a Soviet-era VA space capsule in the Ma...

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UFOs... Is the truth out there?

December 3, 2024 • 53 mins

Have we been visited by space aliens? This month space boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham delve into the history and science of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). They discuss UFOs with Pennsylvania State College professor and author of After the Flying Saucers Came, Greg Eghigian. They also talk to Thomas Zurbuchen, the longest ever serving head of science at NASA who commissioned an official report on UFOs. What does he b...

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Off to Europa, and life on Mars

October 1, 2024 • 54 mins

NASA's Europa Clipper mission is about to head off on a five year mission to explore one of Jupiter's largest moons. Planetary geologist mission scientist Cynthia Phillips joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to discuss why this icy body could potentially be habitable. Plus, engineer, author and president of the Mars Society, Robert Zubrin, on his book The New World on Mars, and how societies and cities will emerge on the red pl...

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John McFall, Tim Peake and how to build a spaceport

August 27, 2024 • 63 mins

Former paralympic athlete, surgeon and European Space Agency (ESA) reserve astronaut, John McFall joins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to share his experiences of the Fly study to investigate whether people with physical disabilities could become astronauts. Also on the show, astronaut Tim Peake, who now has a new role at Axiom Space, Saxa Vord CEO, Frank Strang, and director of operations, Scott Hammond, discuss how they are bu...

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Challenger, and Space Barbie

July 10, 2024 • 48 mins

Was the Space Shuttle fundamentally flawed? Richard Hollingham talks to Adam Higginbotham, author of a new book on the Space Shuttle to discuss the design, the dream, and the wishful thinking that led to the Challenger and Columbia disasters. Sue Nelson visits London's Design Museum to visit a new Barbie exhibition and talk "Space Barbie". Also, discussions on the future of the International Space Station, Star Trek: The documentar...

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