Cosmic Coffee Time with Andrew Prestage

Andrew Prestage

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ASTRONOMY
MONTHLY

It's cosmology in a cup! - Cosmic Coffee Time is bite sized podcasts making sense of space, astronomy, life, and the universe, best enjoyed with a coffee. A down to earth look at what's up there, and it's just for you spacefans. Grab a coffee and see where in the universe we go this time. Follow on Twitter @CosmicCoffTime

31 AUG

#70 The Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight has left two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station. What went wrong, and how are they going to get home?

Boeing’s Starliner space capsule blasted off for its first crewed test flight in early June. Great news right? Turns out, no. After arriving at the International Space Station, some technical problems meant that it couldn’t be used to take its crew of Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth. The two astronauts were left with no way to get home. The two capsules already docked at the space station couldn’t be used, so the astronauts were stranded. Let’s find out what ha...

7 min
31 JUL

#69 NASA's Curiosity rover has just made the most incredible discovery of its 12 years on Mars. By running over a rock!

NASA's Curiosity rover touched down on Mars in August 2012, and it's been exploring the Red Planet all that time. There have been some amazing discoveries and it's travelled over 30km but it has just made the most scientifically significant discovery of its 12 year career, and did it simply by running over a rock! One of Curiosity's wheels crushed a rock. It had looked just like any other orange martian rock, but when it shattered under Curiosity's wheels, it revealed breathtaking yellowish g...

8 min
30 JUN

#68 A piece of space history was written this month, a sample from the far side of the moon! Let's check out the Chang'e 6 lunar lander and it's history-making mission.

As I write this, just a couple of days have passed since the Chang'e 6 sample return capsule touched down with its historic payload. The first sample of rock and soil from the far side of the moon touched down on Earth. This has the potential to unlock some of the secrets from the side of the moon that we never see from Earth, why is the lunar crust thicker? Why are there fewer 'seas' on the far side? And what lies beneath the lunar crust?All of this against the background of a surface operat...

7 min
31 MAY

#67 OSIRIS-REx NASA mission scientist Greg Brennecka brings us up to date on the incredible early findings from the Bennu asteroid sample.

In September 2023, Greg Brennecka stopped by to preview the return to Earth of the OSIRI-REx asteroid Bennu sample return capsule. The sample landed safely and the mission scientists like Greg Brennecka have started their analysis. Some of our toughest questions are being answered by the data already. How old is Bennu? Is there organic material? Where was the asteroid formed? Is Bennu different from what we expected? But hasn't been all smooth sailing. The mission team had to go into full inn...

18 min
30 APR

#66 Saturn’s largest moon Titan is an incredible place, but could anything live there? Canadian Astrobiologist Dr Catherine Neish led a study on Titan’s habitability. She joins us for a fascinating chat about what she found.

Titan. The largest moon in the Saturnian system has been a candidate as a habitable world ever since NASA’s Cassini mission sent back the first radar images of its surface in 2004. Astrobiologist Dr. Catherine Neish of Western University in Canada has spent years studying Titan, and has just published a study on the habitability of Titan. Catherine joins us to step through the findings, what is needed for life? Is there enough of it on Titan? And does it all come together?Read Ralph Lorez's p...

24 min
31 MAR

#65 Spaghettification? This really is a thing. It happens if you get too close to a black hole, but what is it? And how did it get that name?

Space and cosmology throws up some strange effects sometimes, none stranger than spaghettification. Stephen Hawking coined the term for the stretching out that happens when you get close to a black hole. Let's take a look at what it really is, how it works, and if we should have anything to fear from spaghettification...Follow Cosmic Coffee Time on X for some special content X.com/CosmicCoffTimeYou can request a topic for the show! Or even just say hi!We'd love to hear fro...

7 min
29 FEB

#64 The Odysseus Moon Lander. The first private moon lander has touched down, but is it still ok?

Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines produced the first private mission to land on the moon. The Odysseus lander is just 300 km from the lunar south pole, investigating water ice and demonstrating the capabilities of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS).But space is difficult and not many projects go perfectly first time. Is Odysseus ok? Let’s find out!Follow Cosmic Coffee Time on X for some special content X.com/CosmicCoffTimeYou can reque...

6 min
31 JAN

#63 Space Ethics. How do we navigate the ethical challenges of our journey beyond Earth?

So we pollute the upper atmosphere with rocket exhaust, is it worth the benefits of communications satellites and GPS? What about space junk? the garbage of earth orbit. Or mining asteroids? who owns the asteroids, can should they be able to sell the minerals asteroids provide?These are questions that would never have been asked before space travel became as regular as it has today. Let's take a look at this new way of thinking about our responsibilities in space.Follow Cosmic Coffee Time on ...

6 min

See All (70)

Creator

Andrew Prestage
Years Active

2019 - 2024
Episodes

70
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Cosmic Coffee Time with Andrew Prestage

Cosmic Coffee Time with Andrew Prestage

#70 The Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight has left two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station. What went wrong, and how are they going to get home?

#69 NASA's Curiosity rover has just made the most incredible discovery of its 12 years on Mars. By running over a rock!

#68 A piece of space history was written this month, a sample from the far side of the moon! Let's check out the Chang'e 6 lunar lander and it's history-making mission.

#67 OSIRIS-REx NASA mission scientist Greg Brennecka brings us up to date on the incredible early findings from the Bennu asteroid sample.

#66 Saturn’s largest moon Titan is an incredible place, but could anything live there? Canadian Astrobiologist Dr Catherine Neish led a study on Titan’s habitability. She joins us for a fascinating chat about what she found.

#65 Spaghettification? This really is a thing. It happens if you get too close to a black hole, but what is it? And how did it get that name?

#64 The Odysseus Moon Lander. The first private moon lander has touched down, but is it still ok?

#63 Space Ethics. How do we navigate the ethical challenges of our journey beyond Earth?

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Cosmic Coffee Time with Andrew Prestage

Episodes

#70 The Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight has left two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station. What went wrong, and how are they going to get home?

#69 NASA's Curiosity rover has just made the most incredible discovery of its 12 years on Mars. By running over a rock!

#68 A piece of space history was written this month, a sample from the far side of the moon! Let's check out the Chang'e 6 lunar lander and it's history-making mission.

#67 OSIRIS-REx NASA mission scientist Greg Brennecka brings us up to date on the incredible early findings from the Bennu asteroid sample.

#66 Saturn’s largest moon Titan is an incredible place, but could anything live there? Canadian Astrobiologist Dr Catherine Neish led a study on Titan’s habitability. She joins us for a fascinating chat about what she found.

#65 Spaghettification? This really is a thing. It happens if you get too close to a black hole, but what is it? And how did it get that name?

#64 The Odysseus Moon Lander. The first private moon lander has touched down, but is it still ok?

#63 Space Ethics. How do we navigate the ethical challenges of our journey beyond Earth?

About

Information

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