Speaker profile
Mr Brian Fraser
BSc.
Available for booking
Goathurst, Somerset, England
100 miles travel distance
Science Communicator
Astrophotographer
Amateur Astronomer
Summary
Brian is an engaging speaker for audiences fascinated by the science and history of spaceflight exploration and discovery. He brings the remarkable story of humanity’s journey into space to life, interspersed with obscure and amusing facts.
Full biography
I have been fortunate to live through an extraordinary era of human spaceflight and deep-space exploration of the Solar System. From building plastic kits of the Apollo programme as a child to marvelling at the huge advances in reusable rocketry, I have always tried to understand the science and engineering required to extend the reach of human curiosity.
I discovered that I have a knack for explaining concepts in ways that make them accessible to mixed audiences. I try to weave in bizarre facts and oddities along the way to entertain the audience while explaining how and why rockets operate as they do. For example, NASA's Artemis mission to the Moon is best demonstrated using my childhood school globe, a length of parachute cord and a chocolate orange.
I aim to show you things you never knew existed, whether it's the Cold War secrets behind the Space Shuttle or how engineers managed to land robots on the Moon before computers had been shrunk enough to fit aboard a spacecraft.
My most recent talk was about how two utter incompetents managed to beat the odds and photograph the 2026 Spanish eclipse. "Carry On Observing" may one day be turned into a film. Brad Pitt will, of course, play my role.
Affiliations
Lectures
Ignition - The Science Of Rocketry
A journey through the history of science and engineering that links Chinese caves to the exploration of the solar system.
The Unmanned Moon Missions
How do you land a robotic craft on the moon before the age of portable computers ? A history of exploration of our nearest neighbour, the successes and failures along with some very tantalising discoveries.
The History And Engineering Of The Space Shuttle
The evolution of the most complex craft to leave the surface of the earth. This talk has to refer to the two tragedies however it delves deeper into the reasons for the design and significant missions that did not make the headlines. Who is the only astronaut to have returned from space standing up and why did it happen ? What is lurking in a shed in Khazakstan ?
A History Of The Exploration Of Mars.
A journey through time looking at our fascination with the red planet. This lecture takes you from coloured pencils to helicopters and some tantalising geological evidence for what may have been emerging life.
Carry On Eclipsing
A 15 minute catalogue of near disasters where two hapless astronomers set out to capture the 2026 Spanish Eclipse. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong despite meticulous planning, topography research, meteorological statistics and the incomprehensibility of Spanish timetables. Did they achieve their mission ?
Space News
Monthly accounts of recent events presented to Somerset Levels Stargazers etc. A sideways look at the sky, bringing to life what has happened in astronomy and exploration with the inevitable focus on oddities and curiosities that didn't make the headlines.
