
Show Notes
So, we’re flying humans around the moon and bringing them back. But why are we doing it? To build a strategic outpost? To play power games? To do science? And if it's science, isn’t the useful value of resources on the moon a bit opaque? For example, why do we need to mine helium-3 when we can produce it on earth? More problematic, if you’re investing billions of dollars in putting sensitive instruments on the moon and you’ve got good access to light and frozen water, what happens when somebody else comes along and says: “I’d quite like a bit of that as well please”? How quickly does astropolitics become geopolitics?
Join Alice and her guests, Libby Jackson, Head of Space at the Science Museum and Ian Annett, Chair UKSpace Launch Committee, as they debate the value of Artemis II and celebrate the idea of being driven to push boundaries. “We’re human, what can we do?”
Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn
Ian Annett, Chair UKSpace Launch Committee Ian Annett | LinkedIn
Libby Jackson OBE FRAeS, Head of Space, the Science Museum Libby Jackson OBE FRAeS | LinkedIn
Key topics covered: Artemis II Apollo missions Mining on the moon Astropolitics Collaboration in space Cost of commercial launches Security in space The lunar economy Mars missions Understanding evolution Kerosene alternatives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Kármán Line
A blockbuster cast of industry leaders debate the UK’s new space strategy with invited guests live at the Harwell Campus. What do they all think about the government as a procurer and facilitator of private growth capital? Why does Sam Adlen argue that the strategy lacks forward-looking economic ambition? What are the real benefits of alignment between DSIT, MOD and UKSA, as well as the explicit decision to prioritise four capability pillars – Satcoms, space domain awareness (SDA), ISAM and launch?
How does winning the UK Space Agency's Active Debris Removal (UK ADR) contract position ClearSpace to capture defunct satellites? How do their multi-arm robotics and advanced machine-learning algorithms match up to the task? How does active debris removal establish a long-term national capability and commercial service layer in space? And what does a transition from R&D grants to major anchor contracts mean for hyper-scaling UK In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM)?
How does Metalysis strip oxygen as a captured gas from metal oxides and convert the oxide into pure metal alloys? How will this help us to supply life support for lunar bases or create rocket propellant for deep-space refuelling? Once the oxygen is stripped away how can the remaining metal alloys be repurposed for 3D-printed infrastructure, landing pads or road surfaces? And how can Metalysis’ research help regolith inks to print electronic components directly in space?
Does sub-centimetre, non-trackable space debris pose an existential threat to satellites and orbital infrastructure? How can ultra-lightweight "black box" sensors turn a spacecraft's surface into an impact detector to diagnose anomalies? What do satellite operators need to unlock affordable, named-peril collision insurance through Lloyd's of London? And how can a "neighbourhood watch" network of sensor-equipped satellites build live space domain awareness to protect the space economy?
What is the true balance between human spaceflight and robotic exploration when it comes to science, inspiration, and decision-making capabilities? How is space transitioning from a niche frontier to an everyday commercial workplace? What role do regulatory frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Artemis Accords, and the Astra Carta, play in keeping orbit and the lunar surface safe and sustainable? And how can the UK Government act as an "anchor customer" to bridge the commercial "valley of death" for domestic space startups?