In episode 32 Ben chats to Dr Paul Bate, the CEO of the UK Space Agency who leads a team of more than 250 people, who provide technical advice on the UK government’s space strategy, and guide the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision. They discuss the National Space Strategy, the UK's future launch capabilities and the importance of championing space and it’s benefits in our every day lives. 00:19 Intro to Paul Bate 01:12 What are the UK doing in space? (here) 02:51 Learning on the job 04:48 The UK's launch facility - go to place in Europe for satellite launches? 06:25 Virgin Orbit https://virginorbit.com/ 07:50 UK uniquely positioned for launches? 08:57  Timeline to see launches in UK 09:36 How did Paul’s role in healthcare prepare Paul for leading the UK Space Agency? 12:14 How Paul tool on leadership from Graham Turnock 16:50 Tim Peake and future UK astronauts as source of inspiration 19:30 Government department (or arms length body) 21:17 How governments prioritise space in their manifestos 23:13 Pauls aspirations for agency - what can UK be the leader in? 26:00 Excitement for UK Space Agency’s future (and collaborations such as Rosalind Franklin Rover, James Webb Telescope) 28:24 Has Brexit effected how the UK interacts in space? 30:48 Pauls dream job (and perfect time to do it) 31:52 Pauls personal life 33:13 Wrap up and social medias   Social Media   Twitter: https://twitter.com/spacegovuk & https://twitter.com/paul_bate   Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency Stay connected with us! Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrobenpodcast/ Website (coming soon): www.astroben.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/gambleonit?lang=en Please subscribe and rate - Ad Astra!