The British Interplanetary Society

Solar Orbiter: Lecture and Livestream Q&A Speaker: Ian Walters

Solar Orbiter: Lecture and Livestream Q&A Speaker: Ian Walters Recorded: 1st October 2020 ________________________________________ As Project Manager for the Solar Orbiter spacecraft at Airbus Defence and Space, Ian will describe some of the technical and programmatic challenges which led to its successful launch from Cape Canaveral in February this year. Ian Walters has worked for Airbus since 1982. He is currently the Project Manager for Solar Orbiter, which launched on 10th February 2020 and is now performing perfectly in space. He has previously held positions of CTO for Galileo Industries (the company responsible for developing the Galileo Navigation System for the EU) and Airbus VP for Navigation Systems in Munich. He was also Engineering Manager for the Rosetta Platform and Project Manager for the JWST Mid Infra-red Instrument (MIRI). He lives in Cambridgeshire with three teenage children, and teaches Karate in his spare time, holding the rank of 5th Dan Livestreamed Question and Answer session: Solar Orbiter: with Ian Walters (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 7th October 2020 To watch this live question and answer session please open the URL below: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBritishInterplanetarySociety/live If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected]; and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name and your location when submitting your question/comment. If you wish to watch this event after it finishes, please open the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7jAxkaP9LKMM2C88xXHPg where a recording/s will be available

‘Ever Decreasing Circles’ – An Introduction to Spacecraft Mission Orbits Speaker: Dr. John Davies, FBIS Recorded: 8th August 2020 Dr. John Davies will introduce some basic concepts of spacecraft orbits and then go on to explore the pros and cons of each for various types of scientific missions. Although Earth observation, communications and navigation satellites will be mentioned, the talk will concentrate on orbits for astronomical spacecraft. These range from the Hubble Space Telescope in its low Earth orbit to the flotilla of complex astronomical missions at the L2 Lagrangian point which will be joined by the James Webb Space Telescope next year. John Davies is an astronomer at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. He has worked with several astronomical satellites, including the Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), and used many large ground-based telescopes for his research programme on comets and asteroids. John is the author of five books, including Astronomy from Space which reviews the design and operation of orbiting observatories. He joined the BIS in the early 1970s. ________________________________________ Livestreamed Question and Answer session: ‘Ever Decreasing Circles’ – An Introduction to Spacecraft Mission Orbits Speaker: Dr. John Davies, FBIS (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 2nd September 2020 To watch this live question and answer session please open the URL below: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBritishInterplanetarySociety/live If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected]; and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name and your location when submitting your question/comment. If you wish to watch this event after it finishes, please open the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7jAxkaP9LKMM2C88xXHPg where a recording/s will be available

Recording of Livestreamed Question and Answer session: Astrobiology. Speaker: Michael Franks (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 12th August 2020

Speaker: Dr. John Davies, FBIS Live Streamed Question and Answer Session (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 2nd September 2020 Dr John Davies will be available to answer questions on the subject of ‘Ever Decreasing Circles’ – An Introduction to Spacecraft Mission Orbits. John Davies is an astronomer at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. He has worked with several astronomical satellites, including the Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), and used many large ground-based telescopes for his research programme on comets and asteroids. John is the author of five books, including Astronomy from Space which reviews the design and operation of orbiting observatories. He joined the BIS in the early 1970s. If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected] and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name, and your location when submitting your question/comment. If you wish to watch this event after it finishes, please open the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7jAxkaP9LKMM2C88xXHPg where a recording/s will be available

Astrobiology: Lecture and Livestream Q&A Speaker: Michael Franks Recorded: 13th July 2020 A brief history of Astrobiology is highlighted in this talk starting with the first astrobiologist Giordano Bruno who was a contemporary of Galileo. Bruno taught that there was a multitude of life on many worlds. Bruno was burnt at the stake. We then move onto “What is Life?” We analyse the definition used by NASA and considers the Drake Equation – how many intelligent civilisations there may be in the Galaxy. The Fermi Paradox will be addressed and why, if the Universe has existed of over 13 billion years, and contains billions of worlds, we have not detected any signs of alien intelligence. The talk finally considers whether there is Life can be found in other places in the Solar System such as the moons of Jupiter and the other outer planets. How we might find life on exoplanets? Livestreamed Question and Answer session: Astrobiology: with Michael Franks (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 12th August 2020 To watch this live question and answer session please open the URL below: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBritishInterplanetarySociety/live If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected]; and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name and your location when submitting your question/comment. If you wish to watch this event after it finishes, please open the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7jAxkaP9LKMM2C88xXHPg where a recording/s will be available

The BIS Moon Suit. Speaker: Stephen Abs Wisdom Lecture and Live Streamed Question and Answer Session Stephen Wisdom, as a renowned prop maker and historian, made the full size replica of the British Interplanetary Society’s 1950s Lunar Suit which is on permanent display at The National Space Centre in Leicester. In his talk he will speak about his fascination in the ‘how?’ of history, the nuts and bolts, the engineering and the mechanics by which the adventurers and explorers of the past made their great journeys. He will tell how he, in effect, had to ‘become’ the designers, Harry Ross and Ralph Smith, to find and incorporate the materials and technologies that were around at the time. Livestreamed Question and Answer session: The BIS Moon Suit. Speaker: Stephen Abs Wisdom (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 22nd July 2020 To watch this live question and answer session please open the URL below: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBritishInterplanetarySociety/live If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected]; and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name, and your location when submitting your question/comment. If you wish to watch this event after it finishes, please open the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7jAxkaP9LKMM2C88xXHPg where a recording/s will be available

Part 9, The surprising worlds Dan didn't visit by Bob Parkinson

Part 8, Beyond the Pale - Dane Dare after The Eagle by James Bacon

Part 7, How they got on with the Solar System and beyond by Eric Farnie

Part 6, I blame it all on Dan Dare! Twice! by Jim Burns | 14/04/2015

Part 5, Greta Edwards: Artist - The model for "Professor Peabody" | 14/04/2015

Part 4, Spaceship Away! Preserving the Dream by Rod Barzilay | 14/04/2015

Part 3, Esgel, the Model for a Generation by Will Greenham | 14/04/2015

Part 2, The Shaping of the Space Age by Alan Bond | 14/04/2015

Part 1, Dan, his world and the future I expected by Gerry Webb

Livestreamed Question and Answer session: Alcohol in Space: Chris Carberry (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 10th June 2020 “Alcohol in Space” is the first book on this topic and examines the history of alcohol in space, as well as dozens of companies and projects that are exploring the possibilities of alcohol production in space. In his talk to the British Interplanetary Society, Carberry highlights many of the companies that are leading the world in the development of space alcohol including whiskey producers Ardbeg and Suntory who have sent experiments to ISS, analysing how whisky ages in microgravity. In addition, American beer giant, Budweiser, which has sent barley experiments to the International Space Station (ISS). “The production and consumption of alcohol has played a significant role in human society since the dawn of civilization,” stated author Chris Carberry. “Will this still hold true when humanity is exploring and settling the outer reaches of space?”

The BIS Moon Suit. Speaker: Stephen Abs Wisdom Live Streamed Question and Answer Session Livestreamed Question and Answer session: The BIS Moon Suit. Speaker: Stephen Abs Wisdom (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 22nd July 2020 Stephen Wisdom, as a renowned prop maker and historian, made the full size replica of the British Interplanetary Society’s 1950s Lunar Suit which is on permanent display at The National Space Centre in Leicester. In his talk he will speak about his fascination in the ‘how?’ of history, the nuts and bolts, the engineering and the mechanics by which the adventurers and explorers of the past made their great journeys. He will tell how he, in effect, had to ‘become’ the designers, Harry Ross and Ralph Smith, to find and incorporate the materials and technologies that were around at the time If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected] and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name, and your location when submitting your question/comment. If you wish to watch this event after it finishes, please open the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7jAxkaP9LKMM2C88xXHPg where a recording/s will be available

Alcohol in Space: by Chris Carberry Lecture and Live Streamed Question and Answer Session “Alcohol in Space” is the first book on this topic and examines the history of alcohol in space, as well as dozens of companies and projects that are exploring the possibilities of alcohol production in space. In his talk to the British Interplanetary Society, Carberry highlights many of the companies that are leading the world in the development of space alcohol including whiskey producers Ardbeg and Suntory who have sent experiments to ISS, analysing how whisky ages in microgravity. In addition, American beer giant, Budweiser, which has sent barley experiments to the International Space Station (ISS). “The production and consumption of alcohol has played a significant role in human society since the dawn of civilization,” stated author Chris Carberry. “Will this still hold true when humanity is exploring and settling the outer reaches of space?” Livestreamed Question and Answer session: Alcohol in Space-Chris Carberry (hosted by Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 10th June 2020 To watch this live question and answer session please open the URL below: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBritishInterplanetarySociety/live If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected]; and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name, and your location when submitting your question/comment.

Engineering the Scorpion: By Mark Hempsell Live Streamed Question and Answer Session (chaired by: Alistair Scott) 7pm (BST) Wednesday 6th May 2020 Scorpion is a result of study into a large general purposed spacecraft that can deliver crew and payload to high Earth orbits, the Moon and everywhere between Venus and Mars. It has provisions for six people and has six payload attach points which enable it to carry several hundred tonnes to high Earth orbit. The performance to achieve this comes from a nuclear engine called the Serpent. It means that the Scorpion can travel to the Moon’s surface with twenty tonnes of payload and return, while protecting the crew with full solar storm shielding and is even capable of spinning to provide the crew with artificial gravity. Its key constraint was that the technology either currently exists or, it was in development before the 1980s but the programme was never completed. The talk will work though the key engineering decisions showing their heritage and feasibility, a showing that the Scorpion represents a system that could have been operational in the 2000- 2010 timeframe. If you wish to make a comment or ask a question, please e-mail: [email protected] and if possible, your question/comment will be put to the speaker during the Q&A session. Please be sure to include your name, and your location when submitting your question/comment.