Following the success of our first podcast series - Edinburgh: Space Data Capital, Dr Murray Collins and Kim McAllister are back with a new space podcast. Scotland's Secret Space Race takes you into government departments, research labs, launch sites and even into orbit to share the secrets of Scotland's booming space economy.

Episode 1 features Space Minister Ivan McKee and NASA Astronaut Professor Bonnie Dunbar.

Mr McKee discusses the importance of the space industry to Scotland post-COVID and Bonnie shares incredible stories of her Scottish heritage and how it feels to work on the ceiling.

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Kim McAllister is joined by guest host Kristina Tamane to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. They interview two women working in the Scottish space industry:

• Cassandra Mercury is Quantum Payload Lead at Craft Prospect - working on quantum encryption of data using satellites
• Hina Khan is Programme Manager at Spire Global - with perhaps the most extensive space network in the world

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Scotland's international influence is highlighted in this podcast, in which Dr Murray Collins and Kim McAllister talk to Steven Ramage from GEO and Professor Tughrul Arslan from the University of Edinburgh.

Glaswegian Steve is based in France, works in Geneva and coordinates earth observation programmes across the world which use data from space to inform high level decision makers.

Professor Tughrul Arslan discusses smart platforms and his work in engineering, including working on the Mars rover and setting up five companies.

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Dr Murray Collins and Kim McAllister speak to Tom Walkinshaw, chief executive of Alba Orbital.

The Glaswegian started making satellites out of cardboard in his bedroom in 2012 because he was desperate to work in the space industry... Seven years later he launched six pocketqube satellites from a spaceport in New Zealand.

Also on the show are student groups Asteria and Endeavour - one making satellites and one making rockets. Could they be the next big names in Scottish space?

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How does the Scottish space industry link with other industries and other countries? In this episode Dr Murray Collins and Kim McAllister speak to three guests:

• Andy Brown, senior director of SPIE
• Jane Morrison-Ross, chief executive of ScotlandIS
• Dr Keiko Nomura, earth observation data scientist

All discuss the links Scottish space has internationally and between industries. Look out for SkyeTech in June 2021 - where all these topics and more will be discussed on the Isle of Skye.

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Glasgow makes more satellites than anywhere outside the US - and here's the reason why. Dr Murray Collins and Kim McAllister chat to Spire founder and chief executive Peter Platzer. 

Spire builds and manages a constellation of nanosatellites from six offices across three continents. The Glasgow office is where the satellites are built, and plans to employ another 280 people in the next five years.

Peter discusses why Spire chose Glasgow, why Scotland is uniquely placed to succeed in the space industry and why NASA is now working with Spire.

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Read more about Spire 

In the next two years Scotland will have launch capacity - completing the end-to-end offering in the Scottish space industry.

Kim McAllister and Kristina Tamane discuss the future of launch in Scotland and interview representatives from all four proposed sites:

• Sutherland
• Prestwick
• Shetland
• North Uist

Hear the difference between vertical and horizontal launch and the types of satellites Scotland could soon be sending into orbit.

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He's widely regarded as the person who started the Scottish space industry when he founded Clyde Space in 2005. Craig Clark joins Kim McAllister and Dr Murray Collins for the season finale.

He discusses the circumstances which led to him launching the company - the time they almost went into administration and whether he'd ever become an astronaut.

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Presented by broadcaster Kim McAllister and Dr Murray Collins, space lead at the University of Edinburgh and CEO of Space Intelligence - the Scotland's Secret Space Race Christmas Special offers an entertaining yet informative insight into 2020's space news.

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