What’s the point of having a treaty banning nukes in space if we can’t spot them

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Episode details

Radio 4,·16 Jul 2026,·28 mins

Available for 35 days

A few years ago a satellite speeding through the Van Allen belt in earth orbit raised concerns that it may include a nuclear weapon. An explosion in that orbit would take out much of our global space infrastructure. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 specifically prohibits such a thing, but it has proven technologically impossible to verify and monitor over the decades. Tom Whipple is joined by Prof Areg Danagoulian, Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT to explore a clever concept to spot such a thermonuclear device in orbit that he has published in this month’s Nature journal.

Also on the show, Professor of Science Communications Gareth Mitchell discusses how the way toddlers waddle can teach robots how to play football, and how to win. He also examines a new global database on food consumption which aims to help answer some of the world’s most pressing questions on our diets and the environment.

Presenter: Tom Whipple

Producer: Alex Mansfield & Tabitha Taylor Buck

Editor: Martin Smith

Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

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