Space

We Shall Fly - Part One


Listen Later

Why African nations are so keen to journey into the future as a space-going continent. Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock visits Nigeria, the birthplace of her father, to explore the passionate desire among some to fly against the continent’s impoverished stereotype and join the space race. And, what of the financial commitment required to achieve these dreams in countries where it is sometimes a struggle to keep the lights on?

"Quite a few false starts have been made in Africa," wrote the Ugandan philosopher and writer Taban Lo-Liyong, "...but most of us know the direction we are going – straight into the 21st Century. And to arrive there we are not going to go the way our grandparents would have gone – on foot and by canoe. We shall fly, we shall go by missiles, we shall go with the white man, we shall go with the yellow man. And we shall go by all means."

We follow this poetic, aspirational spirit through the continent’s history, from speaking to the South African hoping to be the first black African in space, to a surprising and touching example of amateur space exploration in 1960s Zambia. What do these ambitions mean, and who believes in them?

This programme was first broadcast in October 2016.

(Photo: Back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from Nasa space shuttle Endeavour, May 2011. Credit: Nasa)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

SpaceBy BBC World Service

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

183 ratings


More shows like Space

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,413 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,842 Listeners

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

1,335 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,747 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,757 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,072 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

343 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

291 Listeners

The 365 Days of Astronomy by 365DaysOfAstronomy.org

The 365 Days of Astronomy

342 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,953 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,052 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,631 Listeners

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries by Professor Fred Watson and Andrew Dunkley

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

226 Listeners

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

315 Listeners

Houston We Have a Podcast by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Houston We Have a Podcast

1,220 Listeners

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

2,299 Listeners

13 Minutes to the Moon by BBC World Service

13 Minutes to the Moon

4,110 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

754 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,005 Listeners

The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

The Supermassive Podcast

286 Listeners

NASA's Curious Universe by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA's Curious Universe

777 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

2,904 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

370 Listeners

The Astrophysics Podcast by Paul Duffell

The Astrophysics Podcast

44 Listeners

Crash Course Pods: The Universe by Crash Course Pods, Complexly

Crash Course Pods: The Universe

294 Listeners