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The John Batchelor Show

S8 Ep905: Bob Zimmerman explains how private enterprise and competition are transforming the space industry. He also describes unique geological features on Mars, such as "brain terrain," captured in recent images by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (16/16)

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Books, News, Society & Culture, Arts

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Bob Zimmerman explains how private enterprise and competition are transforming the space industry. He also describes unique geological features on Mars, such as "brain terrain," captured in recent images by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (16/16)
1920 BURDICK ID

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, it's Joe and Zoe here from Digget and we're currently sponsored by QVC.

0:04.6

If you're thinking about giving your garden a bit of a refresh, this is very good timing.

0:09.2

My garden scape at QVC is basically like having a whole garden centre, but at the touch of a button.

0:14.7

Everything's there, furniture, plants, tools, lighting, all in one place.

0:19.5

I rather like the look of their Studio 70 collection. It's got this

0:23.0

very lovely retro feel to it. Yeah, if you sort of think bold colours, striped sofas, loungers,

0:28.8

it is giving proper 70s revival. And my garden escape is, it's not just for big gardens either.

0:35.0

It's for balconies, it's for windowsills, whatever you've got.

0:37.9

Plus, they've got advice from expert gardeners available through their online hub and streaming platform.

0:43.8

So you're not just guessing what to do.

0:46.0

Search My Garden Escape at QVC.com to discover more.

0:49.4

You can also use code QDigit for 10 pounds of your first order.

0:53.8

That's code QDigit, QD-I-T for 10 pounds of your first order over 30 pounds.

0:59.0

For full terms, visit the QVC website. I'm John Batchelor. This is Behind the Black with Bob Zimmerman. Avio, Bob, what is that?

1:23.7

Avio is an Italian rocket company. It's been around for decades. They make the rocket, the vaguer and then later now, the Vegas Sea Rocket, that for years, Ariana Space managed, sold, marketed, and launched. But AVO built it. And so the European Space Agency in the last three years has been abandoning its government

1:46.9

model where it has a division, Ariana space, that runs all rocket launches.

1:52.5

It's been shifting to the capitalism model.

1:55.4

And so in the process of doing that, it is essentially taken the vagusie rockets away from Ariana space and

2:04.2

giving it back to AVO who owns and builds it. And so AVO is now marketing and selling that

2:09.9

rocket itself. You got rid of the government middleman. It'll save money and they'll make more money.

2:15.4

So AVO this week,

2:17.7

completed its first launch managed by itself of the V-Vegacy rocket, and it launched

...

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