Jeni visits Space Forge for an update on their mission to build reusable satellites to manufacture materials that that are impossible on the ground.

She talks to CEO Joshua Western about that fateful launch from Cornwall on Virgin's Cosmic Girl, how they are getting ready for their next test aboard a Falcon 9, their re-entry tech nicknamed 'Mary Poppins in Space' and the company's future plans to scale up the manufacturing process from grams to tons!

In this episode Jeni and Paul talk about exoplanet atmospheres, the latest thinking on solar system visitor Oumuamua, Vigin Orbit's woes, Relativity's 3D success, and the oldest orbiting satellite.

There is the sky guide for April, a discussion about what new telescope Jeni should buy and listener emails, as well as Paul's miserable weather and Jeni's gala dinner talk for International Women's Day.

Paul takes time out from outreach at the Festival of Tomorrow at the Swindon STEAM museum to chat with Professor Robert Walsh of the University of Central Lancashire, who with artist Alex Rinsler has created a giant representation of the Sun as an outreach and art project that uses the data of the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

They talk about solar science, the coronal heating problem, sounding rockets, space missions professor Walsh has been involved with, space weather and why he has his own Sun.

In this episode Jeni tells us about her TEDx talk, dressing up for Mama Mia and eating insane burgers, while Paul appears to have started a modelling career.

In astronomy news the team explore the latest JWST findings that may have broken cosmology and changed everything we thought we knew about the history of the universe, as well as a potential new explanation for dark energy and black holes.

There is the sky-guide looking at the highlights for March as well as the Messier marathon, while in spaceflight news it is all change on the ISS, Boeing may finally be getting its act together and Starship may be going to orbit.

Emails and questions complete a packed show

Interview with astronomer Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Jeni talks to the legendary discoverer of pulsars, champion of women in science and Oxford University astronomer about her astronomy career, inspirations, motivations and key discoveries.

The Discussion:

• Our dark sky practical astronomy event, AstroCamp
• Farewell Apollo 7’s Walt Cunningham
• Comet C2022 E3 ZTF reaches naked eye brightness

The News:

Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have:

• Incredible finding: stars have not always been made the same way throughout the history of the Universe
• The debacle of the first space launch from UK soil
• 3 rocky water worlds found by the Kepler Space Telescope

The big news story: a decade-long study finds light pollution is worse than we thought

The Sky Guide:

This month we’re taking a look at the large winter constellation of Ursa Major with a guide to its history, how to find it, a few deep sky objects to seek out and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in February.

Q&A:

Does the James Webb Space Telescope have to take calibration frames like I do from Earth - darks, flats, and bias frames to then stack? From our good friend Peter Coates in East Yorkshire.

Bringing back the much-missed Awesome Astronomy interviews with a bang, we’re joined by friend of the show Chris Lee.

Chris began his career in the 80s in the UK space industry at British Aerospace, Matra Marconi and SCISYS where he worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, the Giotto mission to Halley’s Comet, Beagle 2, Exomars and LISA Pathfinder.

He then became the UK Space Agency’s first Head of International Space Policy and then Head of Space Science Programmes before becoming Chief Scientist at the UK Space Agency.

Now retired, he’s a keen amateur astronomer with Bristol Astronomical Society, an astroimager and listener to the show that we’ve been wanting to record a chat with for quite a while.

The Discussion:

• A refreshed format coming to Awesome Astronomy in 2023
• A look back at the festive season

The News:

Rounding up the astronomy news in November, we have:

• Something in the solar system is producing light that’s not unaccounted for
• A leak on the International Space Station’s lifeboat
• NASA’s Mars lander comes to an end
• A new way to look for aliens

The big news story: As the UK gets ready to launch space vehicles for the first time, we take a look at the long history of UK space activity and the concept of launching to space from aircraft.

The Sky Guide:

As many people will have got new observing equipment this Christmas,  we’re taking a look at the beginner-friendly constellation of Taurus with a guide to its history, how to find it, a few deep sky objects to seek out and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in January.

Q&A:

The brightest GRB ever recorded occurred on 9th October 2022. Its effects on the Earth’s ionosphere was strong enough to be observed by amateur radio astronomers. How did dust form the expanding halo observed around the GRB source? From our good friend Andrew Thomas.

*** Beware, stiff profanity (phnar phnar) in the outtakes at the end ***

Our Christmas Pantomime sees the Awesome Astronomy crew exploring strange new worlds on the Astronomy Star Ship (ASS) Penetrator.

Between the puerile skits you’ve come to expect from our end of year shows, we bring you a roundup of the best astronomy and space exploration news from 2022. And, of course, a look forward to the highlights to come in 2023.

To all our listeners, a very merry Christmas, happy holidays and a prosperous 2023 (download or die!).

The Discussion:

• Meteor shower disappointment
• Lecturing course started
• Dr Jen’s 30th birthday party karaoke – with audio!
• more resources for astronomy and astrophotography over at nightskypix.com

The News:

Rounding up the astronomy news in November, we have:

• JWST picks up chemical reactions in an exoplanet atmosphere
• ESA’s latest astronaut recruitment
• Virgin Galactic gets go ahead to launch from Cornwall
• UK spaceports pop up all over the place
• Rocket Lab continue chasing the reusable rocket dream

The big news story: What else? Artemis 1 launches to make NASA’s return to the moon a reality.

The Sky Guide:

This month we’re taking a look at the winter constellation of Perseus with a guide to its history, how to find it, a few deep sky objects to seek out and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in December.

Q&A:

Does the x-ray end of the electromagnetic spectrum have Fraunhofer lines like the visual part? And if not, how is x-ray spectroscopy done? From our good friend Graeme Durden, who we all wish the very best as he continues his radiotherapy treatment.

For all listeners that are male and over 50 or have a dad, brother, husband, partner or friend who is male and over 50, please do take a few seconds to assess your prostate cancer risk at: prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker