In this week’s episode, I interrupt the normal scheduling to bring you a special episode on space and bushfires. It seems that despite the technological advances that space has brought, we are still at the whim of nature when it comes to natural disasters. Or are we? 

To help me answer this question, I tracked down the best expert I know to tell me about the ongoing bushfire situation in Australia, and how space enabled technologies can assist efforts to predict, manage, and assess the impact of bushfires. It just so happens that he is also my Uncle. 

Professor John Handmer is an Emeritus Professor with the RMIT School of Science, and has qualifications and experience in human geography, economics and law. Recently named Australia’s top researcher in emergency management, he chairs the Scientific Committee of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Program of ISC (International Council of Science and the UNDRR), and is, or has recently been, on a number of Australian advisory bodies, which cover climate change adaptation, disaster risk and resilience, and most recently the National Vulnerability Profile project. John also ran the Bushfire CRC's communities research program and the post-Black Saturday human dimensions research. 

Information on how to donate to help the bushfire relief effort: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/general-news/how-you-can-help

Join the Space Junk Podcast community: www.patreon.com/thespacejunkpod

Space Junk - Space and Bushfire Management (with Professor John Handmer)

In part 2 of my conversation with Dr Vince Houghton, the chief historian and curator at the international spy museum in Washington DC, we continue to delve into the intersections between technology, espionage, and society. If you haven't heard part 1, listen to that one first! http://spaceaustralia.com/opinions/space-junk-space-espionage-dr-vince-houghton-part-1 

Dr Houghton specializes in military and intelligence history, with specific expertise on late-WWII and early-Cold War eras. He is a veteran of the US army and served in the Balkans before receiving his Masters and PhD in Diplomatic and Military History from the University of Maryland.

We talk about how we balance privacy and freedom in our day-to-day interactions with smartphones and the internet, stereotypes of women in intelligence, and why Vince isn’t a big fan of James Bond. 

Nuking the Moon: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575262/nuking-the-moon-by-vince-houghton/

Music: Covert Affair - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100795
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Space Junk - Space Espionage (with Dr Vince Houghton) - part 2

In this episode I chat to space lawyer Donna Lawler, the Principal at Azimuth Advisory, a firm which provides advice and assistance to Governments and businesses who are engaged in space activities. 

Donna is a commercial space lawyer with decades of experience working with Optus Satellite, and other Aussie space companies. 
We talk about the intricacies of space contracts, current developments in the Australian space industry, and what the Moon Agreement might mean for Australian companies who want to mine space resources. 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Thespacejunkpod

Donna Lawler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-lawler/

Azimuth Advisory: https://azimuthadvisory.com.au/

The Moon Agreement: http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/intromoon-agreement.html

Music: ‘Clair de Lune’ (Debussy), performed by up and coming Australian musician James Hu.

Space Junk - Space Mining and Commercial Space Law (with Donna Lawler)

In this episode, we get technical. I catch up with Dr Francis Bennet, a researcher from the Australian National University who works on Lasers, adaptive optics, and quantum electronics and is currently based out of Mt Stromlo. 

Our conversation ranges from space situational awareness (SSA) and riding bicycles, to making your own chocolate while fixing the kitchen sink, to photon entanglement and encryption. Make yourself a cup of tea and settle in for a good old fashioned chat.

Patreon: www.patreon.com/Thespacejunkpod

Dr Francis Bennet: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/bennet-fh

Space Junk - Space Situational Awareness (with Dr Francis Bennet)

In this episode, I bring you part 1 of a wide-ranging and delectable conversation with fan-favourite and good friend Dr Benjamin Pope. Ben has a PhD in Astrophysics from Oxford University and is currently a NASA Sagan Fellow at NYU researching exoplanets. 

In this episode, Ben and I tackle an in-advisably large number and bewilderingly wide range of Space movies. Do either of us have qualifications in film studies? No, but Ben won University Challenge and I took Drama in year 11, so that has to be good enough. Some of the references in this episode are a little out of date, as it was recorded some time ago, notably ‘Trump’s worst idea so far’. You’ll know when you hear it. 

Movies discussed include: Gravity, The Right Stuff, First Man, The Dish, Hidden Figures. It's not really about the movies - we delve deeply into politics, philosophy, history, sociology, and gender discourse. 

As usual, Ben’s vocabulary is vast, and includes the occasional swear word. There’s nothing to be done I’m afraid – you have to take your Astrophysicist as you find him, sweary or otherwise.  

As always, I’m required to say that any opinions expressed by me on this podcast are my own and do not represent the views of any organisation with which I am associated. 

This episode is certified 100% tardigrade free, unlike the Moon. 

Support the podcast: www.patreon.com/Thespacejunkpod

Dr Ben Pope: https://benjaminpope.github.io/

Space Junk - Space Movies and the Meaning of Everything (with Dr Benjamin Pope) - Part 1

I study international cooperation, space law, and science in extreme locations, particularly Antarctica and Outer Space, at Sydney University's School of History and Philosophy of Science. In this podcast I talk about space with people who know their stuff.

Space Junk Podcast

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