logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2021
17m 28s

Moon missions and space junk

Bbc World Service
About this episode

2021 was another year of firsts in the ever-expanding industry around space, as we moved towards space tourism as a reality. But what about NASA, and its plans to return to the moon? We hear all about it, and the space agency’s ambitious plans for not just the moon, but mars; from NASA’s Carlos Garcia-Galan. We also hear about the increasingly urgent issue of space junk, which is causing serious safety issues in orbit. University of Texas at Austin professor, and chief scientific officer at Privateer, Moriba Jah explains. Plus Katie Miller from Skyrora tells us about the company’s space tug; a nifty idea to clean up unwanted objects in space.

Presenter Jane Wakefield Producer Sarah Treanor

(Picture: Earth from space, Credit: Getty Images).

Up next
Today
Finding peace through chocolate
Rahul Tandon talks to a man whose family chocolate business – founded by his father in Syria in the 1980s - was destroyed by war. His family was ripped apart and he had to flee, via a refugee camp in Lebanon, to Canada where he resettled and re-launched the business.Today, it’s t ... Show More
23m 45s
Yesterday
Can the Gulf stay open for business?
From Hollywood adverts fronted by Idris Elba to glittering skylines and global events, Gulf countries have spent decades pitching themselves as stable hubs for international investment. But as conflict spreads across the Middle East, investors are watching the region more closely ... Show More
17m 29s
Mar 4
Are weight-loss drugs reshaping business?
In the final episode of our series on the weight-loss drug boom, we explore how the global surge in demand for obesity medications could be reshaping the business landscape. From established companies rethinking their business models, to start-ups seeking to capitalise on shiftin ... Show More
17m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Can we solve our space junk problem?
The world is entering a new space race but every new satellite launched into Earth’s orbit runs the risk of colliding with one of the millions of pieces of space junk left behind by previous missions. So how can we solve our space junk problem? Featuring former NASA astrophysicis ... Show More
23m 59s
Oct 2017
Astronaut Scott Kelly on Working in Space
Scott Kelly, a retired U.S. astronaut, spent 520 days in space over four missions. Working in outer space is a lot like working on earth, but with different challenges and in closer quarters. Kelly looks back on his 20 years of working for NASA, including being the commander of t ... Show More
18m 24s
Oct 2022
NASA’s Science Head on Leading Space Missions with Risk of Spectacular Failure
In 2021, the U.S. space agency NASA launched a spacecraft toward a pair of asteroids more than 11 million kilometers away. The target? The smaller of the two asteroids, just 170 meters wide. The success of the $300 million, seven-year project demanded careful coordination of scie ... Show More
29m 30s
Dec 2021
A new space age?
Dr Kevin Fong convenes a panel of astronautical minds to discuss the next decade or two of space exploration.2021 was an eventful year in space. Captain James Kirk a.k.a William Shatner popped into space for real for a couple of minutes, transported by space company Blue Origin's ... Show More
41m 56s
Jul 2019
Space Flight
What is the future of space flight? With a successful Nasa landing on Mars and more commercial space travel in development than ever before, astronautical engineers are taking us into a new age. From lift off to landing, rapid innovations are radically changing what's possible an ... Show More
49m 32s
Feb 2022
A new space age?
In 2021, Captain James Kirk, aka William Shatner, popped into space for real for a couple of minutes, transported by space company Blue Origin's tourist rocket New Shepard. Elon Musk's Space X ferried more astronauts and supplies between Earth and the International Space Station, ... Show More
42m 5s
Dec 2021
End-of-Year Encore: Space Investing
tail spinning
4m 29s