logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
46m 40s

Sample Return Missions - What Could Poss...

THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
About this episode

This time Dr Becky Smethurst and Izzie Clarke discover why it’s touch and go when it comes to returning asteroid samples to Earth and hear how we’ve been exchanging spit with Mars since the dawn of the Solar System.

 

The team is joined by Dr Sara Russell, a meteorite researcher at the Natural History Museum in London, and Dr Albert Haldemann, Mars Chief Engineer for the European Space Agency.

 

As ever, Dr Robert Massey is with us to answer your questions and look ahead to the next month in the night sky.

 

Keep you questions coming…you can email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram, @SupermassivePod.

 

The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Sep 24
Don't Panic…but a solar storm could be a disaster
It's been 166 years since scientists recorded the world's most powerful solar explosion. Izzie, Dr Becky and Dr Robert Massey are big fans of anniversaries, so they investigate how the Carrington Event affected the Earth - and why something similar today could be devastating.Than ... Show More
47m 22s
Sep 9
BONUS - Are we Living in a Black Hole?
What would happen if the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy disappeared? Dr Becky is back to tackle your toughest of black hole questions. Alongside science journalist Izzie Clarke and Dr Robert Massey, the team also discuss what the night sky would look like in ... Show More
14m 3s
Aug 26
Supermassive Q and A...Live!
We are live at the National Astronomy Meeting in Durham with questions on everything from white holes and fuzzy stars, to solar storms and time travel. Science journalist Izzie Clarke is joined by Dr Ziri Younsi – part of the team that took the first picture of a black hole. Also ... Show More
46m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Apollo Secrets, Cosmic Questions & Martian Mysteries: #484
Space Nuts Episode 484: Unveiling Moon Mysteries, Fermi Paradox Insights, and Mars Terraforming Challenges - A Holiday Special Episode Join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson as they delve into the fascinating realms of lunar exploration, the enigmatic Fermi Paradox, and th ... Show More
32m 59s
Jun 2024
#427: Martian Mysteries & Space Health: Unveiling Cosmic Secrets
This episode is brought to you thanks to NordVPN. To get the special Space Nuts and 30 day money back guarantee deals visit www.nordvpn.com/spacenuts Weird Mars Rock, Anti-Ageing in Space, and Asteroid CollisionsJoin Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this fascinating ep ... Show More
35m 49s
Aug 11
Cosmic Discoveries Soar as Earthly Health Decisions Stir Alarm
Rogue planets drifting through space might be forming their own planetary systems. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission has completed a key radar test ahead of its journey to study Jupiter’s icy moon. Plus, a major shift in U.S. health research funding occurs as Secretary of Health and ... Show More
9m 20s
Sep 22
Did we find signs of life on Mars?
NASA found a Martian rock that might have traces of ancient life. It's perhaps the most tantalizing revelation in the century-long search for Martian life. (Updated from 2022) Guests: Katie Stack Morgan, project scientist for the Perseverance rover; Lindsay Hays, astrobiologist a ... Show More
33m 40s
Aug 2023
Mars Life Explorer: The search for extant life on the red planet
Many missions are working to understand Mars' past habitability, but could there still be microbial life on the red planet today? This week on Planetary Radio, we discuss the proposed Mars Life Explorer mission with Amy Williams, assistant professor of geology at the University o ... Show More
57m 43s
Sep 15
Kissing Bugs, Koalas and Clues to Life on Mars
A paper published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argues that Chagas disease is now endemic in the U.S. Koalas may finally be spared from a deadly epidemic. Meanwhile NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has uncovered tantalizing clues about potential ancient microbia ... Show More
9m 37s
Oct 6
Enceladus’s Alien Ocean, Ancient Fungi and the Flavor of Influenza
Saturn’s moon Enceladus reveals complex organic molecules that could hint at extraterrestrial life. Researchers also uncover fungi’s ancient reign over Earth and warn that second COVID infections may pose greater risks to young people. Plus, ants ferment yogurt, and flu detection ... Show More
9m 47s
Apr 2025
Stellar Microbes, Titan's Mysteries & the Quest for Life Beyond Earth
This episode of Space Nuts is brought you with the support of Saily. If you love travelling, you need Saily by your side. To find out more and get the special Space Nuts listener discount, visit www.saily.com/spacenuts pace Nuts Episode 513: Microbial Life in Space, Titan's Secre ... Show More
37m 33s
Jan 2025
The Year in Science
We look back on 2024 in science, from billionaires in space, to record-breaking heat here on Earth, and the meteoric rise of new weight-loss drugs. From the biggest stories to the unsung and the plain fun, Inside Science presenter Victoria Gill hosts a special panel, featuring: - ... Show More
28m 18s
Feb 2025
Saying Farewell to the Spacecraft That Mapped the Milky Way
The Gaia spacecraft stopped collecting data this January after about 11 years and more than three trillion observations. Senior space and physics editor Lee Billings joins host Rachel Feltman to review Gaia’s Milky Way–mapping mission and the tidal streams, black holes and astero ... Show More
17m 20s