Hostile Worlds: Exploring Space

Would you like to go on an audio tour around some of the most fascinating yet deadly places in the universe? Of course you would. Well, consider this inaugural episode of Hostile Worlds to be your invitation and boarding pass. I say boarding pass, because we'd like you to join us on board The Tardigrade. An all-purpose exploration vehicle that can float, fly, dive, or dig through any environment. It's (nearly) time to go and visit all the places you'd die to see, and places you'd die if you saw. In this episode, I'm busy trying to set the scene of the show. On top of that, I need make sure the ship gets built, and hire a small crew so I don't need to do all the talking myself. Things to Learn Perspective - we're going to make you feel really small. What on Earth is a Tardigrade and why is that the name of our ship? Why we're heading to Saturn's moon Titan for our first mission, and why it's such an exciting place. I'd also like you to appreciate the fact that this is a space podcast, and a podcast launch, and we've totally avoided any lazy and cliched puns the whole time. That alone makes the show worth subscribing too, surely? This podcast is created and presented by The Podcast Host - your number one source for podcasting hints, tips, tricks, and guides. Tasks Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your podcast app of choice. https://twitter.com/HostileWorldsHQ (Follow Hostile Worlds on Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/hostileworlds/ (Like Hostile Worlds on Facebook) Links Tardigrades: Meet the Most Indestructible Species on the Planet https://www.thepodcasthost.com/kraken (Kraken Mare: The Audio Drama) https://www.kielderobservatory.org/ (Kielder Observatory) http://astro.cornell.edu/members/alexander-hayes.html (Alexander Hayes - Cornell University)

Would you like to go on an audio tour around some of the most fascinating yet deadly places in the universe? Of course you would. Well, consider this inaugural episode of Hostile Worlds to be your invitation and boarding pass. I say boarding pass, because we'd like you to join us on board The Tardigrade. An all-purpose exploration vehicle that can float, fly, dive, or dig through any environment. It's (nearly) time to go and visit all the places you'd die to see, and places you'd die if you saw. In this episode, I'm busy trying to set the scene of the show. On top of that, I need make sure the ship gets built, and hire a small crew so I don't need to do all the talking myself. Things to Learn Perspective - we're going to make you feel really small. What on Earth is a Tardigrade and why is that the name of our ship? Why we're heading to Saturn's moon Titan for our first mission, and why it's such an exciting place. I'd also like you to appreciate the fact that this is a space podcast, and a podcast launch, and we've totally avoided any lazy and cliched puns the whole time. That alone makes the show worth subscribing too, surely? This podcast is created and presented by The Podcast Host - your number one source for podcasting hints, tips, tricks, and guides. Tasks Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your podcast app of choice. https://twitter.com/HostileWorldsHQ (Follow Hostile Worlds on Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/hostileworlds/ (Like Hostile Worlds on Facebook) Links Tardigrades: Meet the Most Indestructible Species on the Planet https://www.thepodcasthost.com/kraken (Kraken Mare: The Audio Drama) https://www.kielderobservatory.org/ (Kielder Observatory) http://astro.cornell.edu/members/alexander-hayes.html (Alexander Hayes - Cornell University)

Join us on a journey to some of the most inhospitable, humbling, and frighteningly beautiful places in the known universe. Hostile Worlds is podcast that lets you explore alien landscapes and extra-terrestrial terrain – all from the comfort of your headphones. From the freezing hydrocarbon oceans of Titan, to the scorched, and suffocating wastes of Venus – we’ll take you on an educational and immersive audio tour to all the places you’d die to see... and places you’d die if you saw. You’ll join the crew of The Tardigrade, an all-purpose vehicle that can float, fly, dive, and dig through any environment in the universe. And you’ll learn all the facts you’ll ever needed to present yourself as THE space exploration authority down your local pub on a Friday night. Hostile Worlds is a unique documentary/audio drama hybrid – brought to you by the folks at ThePodcastHost.com

The Tardigrade is on its way to Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn. We're about to break through its hazy orange atmosphere and land on its surface. Our ship won't be the first human-built device to land on Titan though. The Huygens probe made this place its home back in 2005, when it was dropped off here by the Cassini spacecraft. The Cassini-Huygens mission has taught us so much about this fascinating region of the outer solar system over the last 20 years. Now we want to take you to Titan so you can experience it for yourself. So suit up and strap in. It's nearly time to land on this fascinating landscape of hydrocarbon oceans, and icy mountains. And we'll be joined over our radio comms interface by Alexander Hayes, an assistant professor at Cornell Universty in the Astronomy department. He’s part of the Cassini Mission to Saturn research team, so Titan is basically his second home. We're in good hands! Things to Learn Perspective - how far away from the sun is Titan? What's the story behind the Cassini-Huygens mission? What did scientists expect to find on Titan? Were they right? What does it look and feel like on Titan? What kind of suit will you need to explore Titan? How does sound work on Titan? Why are regions and features on Titan named after places from Lord of the Rings, and Dune? Who decides on these names? Tasks Enjoying the journey so far? We'd love it if you could drop us a wee five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or your podcast app of choice. Links http://astro.cornell.edu/ (Cornell University Astronomy Department) https://www.kielderobservatory.org/ (Kielder Observatory) https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/ (The Cassini Mission to Saturn) https://www.iau.org/ (International Astronomical Union) http://www.esa.int/ESA (European Space Agency)

As the crew of The Tardigrade prepare to land on Venus, Matthew heads back down to Earth to get some supplies. Whilst back on the home planet, he pays a visit to St. Andrews Observatory to have a look at the James Gregory Telescope - the biggest telescope in Scotland. The custodian of this fine piece of equipment is Dr. Aleks Scholz, an observational astronomer who studies problems in star and planet formation. This was a good opportunity for us all to learn something new, so Aleks is going to talk us through the life cycle of a star. Things to Learn How do stars from? Why does size matter when it comes to star formation? How do stars die? What determines the ultimate fate of a star? What causes stars to explode? How will our own sun die? What impact will the sun dying have on the planets in our solar system? If Aleks could visit anywhere in the universe, where would he go?