About this episode
The episode discusses the current state of space exploration and the prospects for a human mission to Mars following the Artemis II mission.
A month ago the Artemis II crew landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, completing their historic space mission to the far side of the moon. It’s been several decades since the last human mission to the moon - although this time there was no landing. However, the 4 astronauts travelled further from earth than any human ever has so far. David Aaronovitch asks his guests whether space exploration is back in fashion and if so what’s next? And are we any closer to a human mission to Mars and what would we hope to achieve there? Guests: Dr Julia Balm, Research Associate, Freeman Air and Space Institute in the School of Security Studies, King’s College London Professor Andrew Coates, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London Libby Jackson, Head of Space, Science Museum, London Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight Production Co-Ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon
People in this episode
Host: David Aaronovitch
Guests: Dr Julia Balm, Professor Andrew Coates, Libby Jackson
Topics covered
- space exploration
- Mars mission
- Artemis II
- human spaceflight
- moon landing
- future of space travel
Keywords
- Mars
- Artemis II
- space exploration
- moon
- human mission
- astronauts
- future of space
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Freeman Air and Space Institute, King’s College London, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Science Museum
Places: Pacific Ocean
More episodes of The Briefing Room
- Is Russia under pressure from Ukraine? · May 21, 2026 · 28 min
- Ten years of The Briefing Room · May 14, 2026 · 29 min
- Can Europe build digital sovereignty? · April 30, 2026 · 28 min
- What's the conflict in Iran doing to the world economy? · April 23, 2026 · 29 min
- Is the triple lock pension guarantee sustainable? · April 16, 2026 · 29 min
- Will Trump take Cuba? · April 9, 2026 · 28 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Briefing Room podcast page.