Where's My Jetpack? - podcast cover

Where's My Jetpack?

Stak•stak.london

Will humans really colonise Mars one day? Will I ever ride my own hoverboard like Marty McFly? How long will it be until we can book holidays in space? Where's my jetpack?

Back in the 1980s, TV and films promised us everything from jetpacks to flying cars and holidays in space - so what happened to those Space Age dreams? Every week, join space journalist and author, Sarah Cruddas and broadcaster Luke Moore for Where's My Jetpack? Each episode, we look into a different piece of retrofuturistic technology that never was, to find out if these brilliant inventions are still just science fiction or, by looking in the right places, may be just around the corner.

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Episodes

Where's My... New Planetary Home?

Sarah and Luke return for the final episode of the series, as we search for a home beyond Earth. Life on other planets has been a staple of science fiction lore for decades, but overcoming the astronomical barriers involved might prevent it ever becoming science fact. So, what does the future of our species look like? Thanks to MIT's Ariel Ekblaw, space scientist Bill Borucki and New Horizons’ Dr. Alan Stern for joining us, and thanks to everyone who’s listened across this series! Hosted on Acas...

Apr 28, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 10

Where's My... Interplanetary Neighbour?

Today, we tackle the definitive science fiction question of our time: are we alone? Sarah and Luke set out to discover who - or what - might be observing us from afar. We find that, while the chance of eventually meeting extraterrestrials is quite high, we've not yet found a way to surpass the unfathomable distances involved. Joining us today are scientist and broadcast Seth Shostak and Bill Diamond, CEO of the SETI Institute. Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @ S...

Apr 21, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9

Where's My... Space Mine?

It seems to be the doomed plot of every disaster movie in space, but it's so much more than that: today, we're off searching for the fuel of the future. Sarah and Luke discover that space mining represents a real opportunity to not only improve but potentially even save life on Earth. Joining us on our search this week is former NASA astronaut Ed Lu and Dr Timi Aganaba, an expert in the politics of space. Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @ SarahCruddas @ lukeaaro...

Apr 14, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 8

Where's My... Mars Visit?

Decades of retrofuturustic dreaming, now Elon Musk and NASA: visiting Mars has always seemed just of our reach. But how far away is humans' first visit? Sarah and Luke answer one of science's longstanding questions on today's episode, as we look into the financial and psychological cost of reaching the Red Planet. Decades of expertise is provided by Dr Andy Aldrin, Dr Tanya Harrison and Dr Robert Zubrin. Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @ SarahCruddas @ lukeaaron...

Apr 07, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Where's My... Reusable Rocket?

Sometimes, scientific discovery can just be for the sheer fun of it. Other times, it may well define the future of our species: today's episode focuses on the latter. Sarah and Luke look into why we've not developed rocket technology since the 1960s and reduced the cost of access to space, and how private individuals like Elon Musk are looking to fill the void. We're joined by Nicole Stott and Livingston Holder, two former astronauts who know just how significant reusable rocket technology could...

Mar 31, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Where's My... Space Hotel?

Pack your bags and strap yourselves in. It's time to decide whether a trip into the cosmos remains science fiction or if it might one day become science prediction. Sarah and Luke look into the practicalities of hotels in orbit as space becomes increasingly accessible and wonder what cultural discoveries we might find. We're joined by Laura Forczyk and Dylan Taylor - two people at the heart of the private sector's launch in the skies - as well as MIT's Ariel Ekblaw and former NASA astronaut Ed L...

Mar 24, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Where’s My… Flying Car?

If previous generations could’ve had one single piece of retrofuturistic technology, it’d probably be the flying car. Luke and Sarah try to make those dreams a reality as we find that, for the first time this series, this engineering endeavour actually came before science fiction dreams. We’re joined by designers and engineers at the cutting edge of the industry: Aeromobil CEO Patrick Hessel, aviation expert Andrew Chadwick and Mark Moore, CEO of Whisper Aero and co-founder of Uber Elevate. Whic...

Mar 17, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Where's My... Hoverboard?

Someone get Marty McFly, because today's episode is right up his futuristic street! Join Sarah and Luke as they search for an iconic piece of science fiction, the hoverboard. While the technology is already available in some unusual places, strapping it to your feet and flying off to the shops has proved to be a problem that’s a lot more difficult to solve! Helping us on our quest this week are Prof. Keith Johnstone, writer Dave Carnie and Greg Henderson, founder of Arx Pax and designer of the w...

Mar 10, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Where's My... Moon Base?

We're back with another episode of Where's My Jetpack, the podcast that straps a rocket to your retrofuturistic dreams and blasts them into orbit! Today, Luke and Sarah find out that early scientific progress is never a guarantee of continued expansion, as we ask why humans haven't been back to the moon since 1972 and if we'll ever return. To help us find out we're joined by Dr Andy Aldrin, Director of the Aldrin Space Institute, and son of legendary moonwalker, Buzz Aldrin. Which inventions sho...

Mar 03, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Where's My... Jetpack?

In our first episode of this brand new series, Sarah Cruddas and Luke Moore search for *the* iconic Space Age invention: the jetpack. From unwieldy early iterations to modern imitations that still remain on the periphery of technological discovery, we're yet to see a jetpack that can be strapped on and flown to work. But, in 2022, is that about to change? To help us work out if we'll see jetpacks in our near future, we're joined by jet suit inventor and pilot Richard Browning, Dr Jonathan Clark ...

Feb 24, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Trailer: Where's My Jetpack? | Launching Thursday 24th Feb

Back in the 1980s, TV and films promised us everything from jetpacks to flying cars and holidays in space - so what happened to those Space Age dreams? Join space journalist and author, Sarah Cruddas and broadcaster Luke Moore as we answer those questions on Where's My Jetpack? Each episode, we look into a different piece of retrofuturistic technology that never was, to find out if these brilliant inventions are still just science fiction or, by looking in the right places, may be just around th...

Feb 11, 2022•2 min

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