2026.05.20 | Monash High Powered Rocketry: Pushing the boundaries of space technologies

2026.05.20 | Monash High Powered Rocketry: Pushing the boundaries of space technologies

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 20 May 2026: Space Show News: Australian Space Industry 2026 — Part 1   * Spiral Blue's first international LiDAR sale to Lodestar in the United Kingdom  * QuantX Labs on TEMPO   * Neuman Space's ND-25 propulsion system on CarbSAR.  Also, a giant sunspot on the far side of the Sun was observed by the Solar Orbiter and the Perseverance Rover on Mars. SMILE and Psyche: The China-ESA satellite SMILE (Solar-wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) has been launched, and the asteroid mission Psyche has had its trajectory changed by passing close to Mars. (Inserts courtesy ESA, JPL)  Monash HPR: Pushing the boundaries of space technologies The Space Show in conversation with Johson Zheng, Project Lead and Bavreet Ubhi, Propulsion Vice Lead, of Monash High Powered Rocketry, Monash University. Monash High Powered Rocketry (or MHPR) [https://www.monashhpr.com/] is a student team at Monash University revolutionising student rocketry in Australia by developing innovative space technologies, fostering collaboration, and igniting passion in future generations through outreach. With a team of over 100 members, MHPR actively competes in both the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) and Australian Universities Rocketry Competition (AURC). The design and manufacturing of almost all components of these rockets is done in-house by students, including all airframe components and many flight computers. Monash HPR is developing, manufacturing and testing a hybrid rocket engine using paraffin and liquid oxygen.  Turn Back Time: The 60th anniversary of the launch of Europa 1 F-4 from Woomera.  Listen or download the full recording of the launch made in Auckland off Radio Australia and 2NR Grafton (40 min 17 s - 38.7 MB)  [https://space.southernfm.com.au/audio/Europa1F4FullRecording.mp3]

2026.05.13 | Extraterrestrial Life — Could We Cope?

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 13 May 2026: Space Show News: The Australian Federal Budget — An analysis of the space and astronomy sections of the 2026 Federal Budget.  Extraterrestrial Life - Could We Cope?  The US government has released a batch of 160 previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings and alien life [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_UFO_files]. The files include a 1947 report of "flying discs" and a photo of "unidentified phenomena" taken from the Moon's surface during the Apollo 12 lunar mission in 1969. In light of these releases, we’ll first hear comments from President Trump, then a fascinating retrospective discussion, largely philosophical in nature, between the New Zealand astronomer and television presenter Peter Read [https://www.kiwitv.org.nz/people/presenters/read-peter] and Professor Alan Forbes of Wellington's Victoria University on how humanity might cope with the discovery of extraterrestrial life. (Inserts Fox News, WH and NZBC) The Andy Thomas Space Foundation:  [https://andythomas.foundation/] Nicola Sasanelli [https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/nicola-sasanelli/](Adjunct Professor and then Chief Executive Officer, Andy Thomas Space Foundation, Adelaide) on the formation and purposes of the Foundation. (Recorded by The Space Show at a meeting of the Space Association of Australia [https://space.asn.au/], South Melbourne) SMILE [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMILE_(spacecraft)] A preview of the China-ESA satellite SMILE (or Solar-wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer), which is due to be launched on 19 May 2026. SMILE is a collaborative satellite mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) designed to study how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic shield.

2026.05.06 | Artemis II: A shared moment, especially for younger audiences

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 5 May 2026: YouGov polls about the Artemis 2 circumlunar mission and Apollo 11 lunar landing [https://yougov.com/articles/54550-new-study-reveals-one-in-six-australian-adults-watched-the-artemis-ii-launch-live-and-many-still-believe-in-value-of-space-exploration] One in six Australian adults watched the Artemis II launch live, and many still believe in the value of space exploration. In the wake of the Artemis II launch, new research from YouGov reveals that space exploration continues to capture the imagination of Australians, offering not just a moment of awe, but a reminder of what global collaboration can achieve. The study found that more than half of Australian adults (54%) watched footage of the Artemis II launch, either live or after the event. Notably, one in six (16%) tuned in live, equating to nearly 3.5 million Australians experiencing the launch in real time. In total, more than 11.5 million Australians engaged with the mission in some form. The launch proved particularly compelling for younger generations. Nearly one in four (24%) Gen Z adults watched the event live, followed by 17% of Millennials, highlighting the enduring appeal of space milestones among younger audiences. Space Show News: Voyager 1 Due to declining power, an instrument on Voyager 1 is to be shut down ahead of major changes on both Voyager spacecraft. Turn Back Time: Mars Odyssey The 25th anniversary of the launch of the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission.

2026.04.22 | How the Vengeance Weapon Two (V-2) first took flight in New Mexico

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 22 April 2026: Turning Back Time 80 years since the first test launch of a V-2 rocket from American soil: [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/first-v2-rocket-launch-america-was-75-years-ago-today-180977520/] At 2:47 on the afternoon of Tuesday, 16 April 1946, a captured Nazi V-2 missile ascended into the sky from the U.S. Army's new White Sands Proving Ground in south-central New Mexico. It didn't get very far. The guidance system failed, a fin came off, and the rocket—after reaching an altitude of only 3.4 miles—crashed in the desert. 65 years since Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin] On 12 April 1961, at 6:07 am UTC, the Vostok 3KA-3 (Vostok 1) spacecraft was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Aboard was Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into space. 45 Years since the first flight of the Space Shuttle: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-1] On 12 April 1981, the world's first reusable spacecraft, the Space Shuttle Columbia, was launched from Kennedy Space Centre, beginning the STS-1 mission. Commander John Young & pilot Robert Crippen strapped into the most complex machine ever built, with no test run or uncrewed test flight, and made history. 35 years since the launch of the Gamma-ray Observatory: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compton_Gamma_Ray_Observatory] On 5 April 1991, the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory (CGRO) was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis from the Kennedy Space Center.

2026.04.15 | 76th International Astronautical Congress 2025 - Part 5

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 15 April 2026: 2025 International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Sydney:  "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Part 2 of an astronaut panel discussion marking 25 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station.  The astronauts are: * Julie Payette [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette] (moderator) — Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served as the 29th Governor General of Canada from 2017 to 2021. * Yi So-yeon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_So-yeon]— South Korean astronaut and biotechnologist who became the first South Korean to fly in space. * Koichi Wakata [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koichi_Wakata]— Japanese engineer and an astronaut working for Axiom Space after retiring from JAXA. * Andreas Mogenson [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Mogensen] — Danish engineer and ESA astronaut who is best known for being the first Dane to fly in space. * Alper Gezeravcı [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alper_Gezeravc%C4%B1] — a military pilot and the first Turkish astronaut who flew to the  International Space Station with Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). * Andrew Feustel  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_J._Feustel] — American/Canadian NASA astronaut and geophysicist who most recently served as commander on the International Space Station for Expedition 55 and 56.