13 Minutes to the Moon

Episodes

• Trouble with Hubble: 1. A window on the universeOur view of the universe could be transformed by one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever built but a terrible disaster strikes Nasa. After decades of meticulous planning, will the Hubble Space Telescope make into space? Nasa is in a state of emergency. The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 means the space agency is under intense scrutiny. Its reputation is wounded, and public interest in spaceflight is beginning to fade. It is betting on a feat of engineering genius: the successful launch and deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope. Nasa believes the telescope is capable of doing the impossible: peering deeper into the universe than ever before and unlocking some of its greatest secrets. But Hubble is delicate and extraordinarily complex and it will be Astronaut Kathy Sullivan’s responsibility to help get it into space, no matter what. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13 Minutes: Trouble with Hubble is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Presenter: Dame Dr Maggie Aderin Series producer: Harrison Lewis Sound design: Tony Churnside Series editor: Ilan Goodman Senior commissioning producer: Katy Davis Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

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• Trouble with Hubble: TrailerBuckle up for the latest epic story from the BBC’s space podcast. The Hubble Space Telescope was revolutionary but a flaw almost ruined the dream. It was hoped it would answer the most fundamental questions ever asked: How did it all begin? Where are we going? Are we alone? Maggie Aderin tells the story of how the telescope that transformed our understanding of the universe, almost ended in disaster. Launches on 5 October. 13 Minutes: Trouble with Hubble is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

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• Artemis II: Quick update: New season coming soonSome big news: We’ve been making a new season. It’s about Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope. If you haven’t already, follow or subscribe, so you will get the full trailer automatically. That will be published next week. Maggie Aderin will tell the story of how the telescope that transformed our understanding of the universe, almost ended in disaster. 13 Minutes: Trouble with Hubble launches on 5 October 2026. In the meantime, please keep sending us your questions: 13minutes@bbc.co.uk We’ll be back to answer those in a few months – more details to follow. You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice 13 Minutes is the BBC World Service’s space podcast.

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• Artemis II: 14. The learningsThe team are back together. Astronaut Tim Peake and space scientist Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher and Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen, after his historic journey. Jeremy reflects on the mission, adapting to life back on Earth after journeying to the far side of the Moon, and looks ahead to future Artemis missions. The Canadian astronaut, who first spoke to 13 Minutes from quarantine before launch, answers the burning questions from the team. He describes the moment a hull breach alarm sounded 20 minutes before the Trans Lunar Injection was due to fire. Then we get to the big one – what’s next for the Artemis programme? Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith Commissioning team: Jon Manel, Anne Dixey and Katy Davis

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• Artemis II: 13. SplashdownAfter 9 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes and 15 seconds and 1.1 million kilometres of travel, the Orion “Integrity” probe splashed down successfully on April 11th at 00:07:32 UTC (GMT). Tim Peake, Maggie Aderin, Kristin Fisher, Rebecca Morelle and the 13 Minutes podcast touches down with this episode. We are also joined by Nasa legend and former shuttle astronaut, Dr Anna Fisher to reflect on the mission. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II will return... But before then, watch Maggie and Tim in BBC Horizon ‘s “Artemis: To the Moon and Back", to see and learn more about the years leading up to this mission. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith Commissioning team: Jon Manel, Anne Dixey and Katy Davis

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• Artemis II: 12. Please return to your seatsThe Artemis II mission hurtles towards re-entry and splashdown. The 13 Minutes crew run through the schedule that includes 28,864 mph, searing heat, 11 parachutes, and 3.9g forces. Long-time Nasa scientist Dr Phil Metzger talks about the issue of AVCOAT – the ablative coating that will shield the capsule’s flat underside. And we also talk about his work at Nasa’s “Swamp Works” where much was studied about building structures on the moon for a moonbase. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith

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• Artemis II: 11. Science surprisesThe Artemis II crew are getting ever closer to home and preparing for re-entry. Hosts astronaut Tim Peake and space scientist Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher, who shares the latest updates from the mission. Plus, we answer more of your burning questions. And Dr Kelsey Young, lead science officer and lunar science lead for Artemis II, shares her excitement about the crew’s lunar observations so far. She tells us what she’s been surprised by, what new science we’ve already learnt, and how they trained the astronauts to become geologists. You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith

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• Artemis II: 10. How to train your astronautAfter all the excitement of the lunar fly-by, the Artemis II crew are taking a breather, and have a long-distance call with the astronauts on board the International Space Station. Besides the Artemis II and ISS crews, there are other humans up in space too. China’s Tiangong space station is currently home to three taikonauts. Hosts astronaut Tim Peake and space scientist Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher to discuss China’s progress in their lunar program so far. And Artemis II chief training officer Jacki Mahaffey tells Tim, Maggie and Kristin how the crew were trained to expect the unexpected, how astronaut preparation has changed since the Apollo days, and how she feels about the upcoming splashdown. You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith

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• Artemis II: 9. Bye bye, fly-byIt’s been a busy 24 hours for the Artemis II crew. They have completed a lunar fly-by, surpassed the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet Earth, gone through a communications black out period, and witnessed a lunar eclipse. Host space scientist Maggie Aderin is joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher who, like many of us, stayed up to watch the fly-by. And BBC News science editor Rebecca Morelle calls in from Houston to give us the latest from mission control. The first pictures back were published by Nasa just as this episode began recording. And former BBC space correspondent Jonathan Amos joins the “13 minutes community”, giving his perspective on the historic mission and the events of the last 24 hrs. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith

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• Artemis II: 8. Final approachNow thoroughly within the lunar gravitational sphere of influence, Artemis II’s crew perform final preparations for the flyby and nearest approach. Very shortly they will break the human distance record from earth. But listeners ask, why will they go further than Apollo 13 went? They will shortly be the only people to see a unique solar eclipse, survey parts of the lunar far side never gazed upon with human eyes, and enter a communication blackout for around 45 minutes, with only themselves for company. Astronaut psychology is one of the most important areas of space science. Before working on Nasa's Twins study, Dr Mathias Basner developed a test for astronauts’ cognition testing. Why? Because astronauts are such over-performers that ordinary tests that the rest of us would be subjected to barely register. So… how did Tim score when he had to do them? But tonight, all eyes are on the moon. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service. Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith

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