2024 A British Space Oddysee (and a spaced cadet)

All the major nations wants the kudos of having a space programme and the UK is no different, unfortunately UK PLC is broke (financially FUBARed). So without an official programme its up to some plucky individuals working from a garden shed (where all the best inventions happen, concorde,cricket and the offshore banking system) to fly the interstellar Union Jack.

So what watch for this outer spaced escapade, well Omega's out (too expensive), Bulova (too big((still)) and god forbid not a G shock.

Luckily we've a home grown called Isotope, and the watch is the Hydrium Nasa edition

Basic specs 40mm diameter, 48mm lug to lug, and a chunky 14.7mm thick under a gorgeous bit of domed sapphire with amazing clarity

Certainly a substantial watch and 133g on the fkm rubber strap

300m WR which might come in handy for splashdown (if lucky)

Powered by a Swiss Landeron movement (ETA clone) 4hz best rate 40hours power reserve

In all its glory with a nice bit of decoration.

Isotope have even thought of re entry as the watch is coated in a heat resistant coating called Cerakote.

And lume,you need good lume for the inky blackness of space, no disappointment here, totally legibility for any space mission (and no excuse for being late for tea)

And you get an extra strap as well, an uber cool hook n loop by Nick Mankey

Well worth checking his website out at nickmankeydesigns.com for some awesome fabric straps both space and more terrestrial themed.

So we've got the watch that covers all the mission parameters, now we need to get on with the rest of the project

Testings well under way on the rover in the harshest environmental, the British roads (potholes bigger than the Mare Tranquillitats).

The mighty Uranus 5 is ready for launch.

It's not going to be a solo mission so we need a crew. Now experienced British astronauts being as rare as a road repair crew and with the sad passing of Neil Armstrong it's been tough, but luckily we've a new neighbour Neil Armstrong's great great nephew's 4 cousin thrice removed

Bob Armstrong, wearing the exclusive design British spaced suit by DOPUNT(tm) coloured not white to show off the watch (we think of everything)

And testing the new negative pressure re breather system (needs emptying😖) whilst (badly) doing the moon walk.

Of course home comforts have to be catered for, and with the British love of curry

A nice Chinese style whelk curry to remind our astronauts of the joys of staggering home after the pub and getting a chinky, pepped up with chocolate habeneros and a trinidad scorpion for extra flavour🥵. Now whelks I hear you say, well they're a large marine snail packed with protein, low in fat and loaded with trace elements (lead,Mercury, cadmium depending on which post industrial estuary their harvested from) and they are very chewy n tough which if there's a micro meteor strike on the craft can be used to plug any hole. There's another trick up the whelks sleeve (well shell) as we know muscle wastage is a big thing on space mission, so after a few of these our British astronauts will have finely tuned chiselled lantern jaws, ideal for the photo op for the cover of Time magazine (or the home n garden section in the Sunday Express) No slack jawed ninny's on our mission. Unfortunately the turmeric (yellow stuff) as havoc with anything white so a protective layer is used on the watch during cooking and ingestion.

So we're ready for blast off (with that curry, definitely) are you!!!!

Just a big thankyou to our God tier patreon and sponsor for today's show, TURVERS for all your local rocketry needs (and mobile phone n laptop repairs)