In this talk I look at some of the histories of robotic space exploration, starting with the first spacecraft to fly past Venus, then looking at how the technology has changed since.

Some highlights along the way include the first tape-deck in space, how the first picture from Mars was a paint-by-numbers, and how Cassini is powered by the heat of radioactive decay.

We will watch a spacecraft navigating itself down to a landing on the Moon and listen to spacecraft talking.

About the speaker: Dr Chris Arridge

Chris Arridge is a Reader in Planetary Physics at Lancaster University.  His work focuses on the giant planets and involves both data analysis and computational simulations.  He was a member of the Cassini magnetometer and plasma spectrometer teams and is a co-investigator on the magnetometer team for the JUICE mission, to be launched in the next few years to Jupiter.  He is also an amateur dancer and trainee Counsellor and Psychotherapist.