It Is Rocket Science

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}

{{Infobox radio show

| show_name = It Is Rocket Science

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption = Helen Keen

| other_names =

| format = Comedy

| runtime = 15 minutes

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| home_station = BBC Radio 4

| syndicates =

| television =

| starring = Helen Keen
Peter Serafinowicz
Susy Kane

| creator = Helen Keen

| writer = Helen Keen
Miriam Underhill

| director =

| producer = Gareth Edwards

| executive_producer =

| narrated =

| record_location =

| first_aired = {{Start date|2011|3|9|df=yes}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2014|4|23|df=yes}}

| num_series = 3

| num_episodes = 12

| audio_format =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hpjm9 BBC programme website]

| podcast =

}}

It Is Rocket Science is a BBC Radio 4 comedy about the history and development of human spaceflight, written and performed by Helen Keen. The series also stars Peter Serafinowicz and Susy Kane and is produced by Gareth Edwards. It was first broadcast in March 2011.{{cite web |title=Rewind radio: Stand Up for Comic Relief; So Wrong It's Right; It is Rocket Science – review |date=13 March 2011 |website=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301181805/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/stand-up-for-comic-relief |archive-date=1 March 2023 |url-status=live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/stand-up-for-comic-relief}}

The premise of the show is that, lacking a big budget, "award winning comedian and part time local authority temporary administrative assistant" [http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/radio/it_is_rocket_science/ comedy.co.uk] Keen has built a ‘super computer’ named The Voice of Space to narrate her peculiar but factually accurate history of space travel, and recreate the voices of various of historical and illustrative characters. Throughout the series The Voice of Space is referred to as possessing the attributes/spare parts of various types of vintage home computers (particularly ZX Spectrum, as heard in episode 1) and household kitchen equipment. Keen has said that The Voice of Space's unique pronunciation of words such as universe (‘oooniverse’) which has drawn comment is intended as an affectionate tribute to the vocal styling of the presenters of her favourite space themed TV programmes, particularly e.g. Carl Sagan's pronunciation of Cosmos (which sounded unusual to her as an English person).[http://www.helenkeen.com/rocket It Is Rocket Science website]

The radio series is an adaptation of Keen's debut Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, also called It Is Rocket Science, which, when it previewed at the Buxton Fringe 2008 was nominated as Best Show and won the Best Individual Comedy Performer award.{{cite web|url=http://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/awards2008.html|title= List of Buxton Festival Fringe finalists}} The show then embarked on a tour of science and arts festivals throughout the UK and Ireland before being commissioned as a radio series.

A second series was broadcast in May and June 2012, and a third series in April 2014.