February 2016 marks one of the biggest discoveries in cosmology and astronomy: the LIGO team annouced that they'd detected gravitational waves, 100 years after Albert Einstein predicted them. Scientists believe this could revolutionise how we study the universe. But what are these gravitational waves? How were they detected? And how is the discovery changing our understanding of cosmos? Graihagh Jackson finds out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham talk Mars rovers, Russian lunar rovers and floating number twos during this month's podcast. Europe's ExoMars mission scientist Nicholas Thomas reveals the role an alcoholic drink played in the naming of one of the Trace Gas Orbiter's key science instruments (as well as what it does of course) while NASA scientist John Grant reveals how some Mars rovers just keep on going and that maybe ideas of canals on the Martian surface weren't so far fetched after all. London science museum space curator Doug Millard also features discussing Luna 9 and,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

One of the big questions in cosmology is what happened at the beginning of the universe? Astrophycisists are edging closer to answering this question - we can now look back to a fraction of a second after the Big Bang. But what happened before that still remains elusive and there are still many loose ends to tie up. In this episode of Naked Astronomy, Graihagh Jackson takes a look at the origins of time... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Space Boffins talk surgery in space with a real life Dr McCoy, NASA astronaut and physician Michael Barratt, and report from a school in St Albans during Tim Peake's first ham radio contact with UK students. A member of the European Space Agency's 60 day bedrest study explains how he's helping astronauts by lying down and the studio guest is Mark Craig, British director of the documentary about Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan - Last Man on the Moon - which is about to have its first cinema release in the United States. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham prepare for Tim Peake's launch to the International Space Station by speaking to Britain's first astronaut - Helen Sharman. ESA's Dr Volker Damann, Head of the Space Medicine Office, explains why space is bad for you and studio guests - rocket expert David Wade and space journalist Sarah Cruddas - share insights on the size of entrepreneurs' rockets and the future of Space 2.0. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Richard sits down with British European Space Agency astronaut, Tim Peake, to discuss gravity, guitars, 1980s computers and future missions to the Moon and Mars. Recorded on location at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, Richard also chats to curator Valerie Neal about humanity's 15 years of living off the Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) and whether the ISS could be converted to a starship. And, after a year on a comet, could the Philae lander wake up again? The mission manager is optimistic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson's star (and space) studded podcast includes the first woman in space, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, and astronaut Tim Peake. Britain's first European Space Agency astronaut discusses the final training before his December launch and why it's important to learn how to fix a toilet. Former space shuttle engineer and Spaceflight editor David Baker is in the studio to discuss the Soyuz rocket that will take Tim to the Space Station, as is Yen Yau from Into Space - a new UK Space Agency backed film project for young space fans. Naturally, they all... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Space Boffins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson are joined by the Rosetta's project scientist, Dr Matt Taylor, to hear the latest on ESA's comet chasing mission now that perihelion is done and dusted. There's also NASA astronaut Cady Coleman on the importance of playing the flute on the space station and how being in space affected her life. Former astronaut Thomas Reiter - now ESA's Head of Human Spaceflight and Operations - discusses the future for Europe's astronaut corps plus Sue and Richard are joined in the studio for expert conversation by astronomer Dr Robert Massey from the Royal... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In a first for the Space Boffins podcast - an interview with astronauts in space! NASA's Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are on a year long mission on board the International Space Station. They took time out from their duties to discuss how they're getting on so far. Studio guests space scientists Lucie Green and Graziella Branduardi-Raymont add some sun (shine) and a SMILE (mission) to the proceedings. Plus we talk to the first man to walk in space, Alexei Leonov, ahead of a new cosmonaut exhibition at London's Science Museum. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Space Boffins celebrate their 4th year producing monthly podcasts in - aptly - a British rocket lab. Richard Hollingham joins engineer Adam Baker at the University of Kingston to discuss recent rocket failures and talks to the new head of the European Space Agency, Jan Woerner, about his plans for a village on the Moon. In Hatfield, Sue Nelson meets philosopher and author of Nobody Owns the Moon, Tony Milligan, to debate the ethics of space exploration and there's yet another reason to celebrate: the 40th anniversary of Apollo-Soyuz. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists