28 episodes

Epic space stories.
Season 1: the first Moon landing, Apollo 11.
Season 2: the near disaster of Apollo 13.
Coming soon: Season 3, the space shuttle.
Theme music: Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.

13 Minutes to the Moon BBC World Service

    • Technology
    • 4.3 • 141 Ratings

Epic space stories.
Season 1: the first Moon landing, Apollo 11.
Season 2: the near disaster of Apollo 13.
Coming soon: Season 3, the space shuttle.
Theme music: Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.

    Update: Live show and season 3!

    Update: Live show and season 3!

    News about the next season and our live episode recording at The Podcast Show 2023 in London. What would you like to ask space shuttle astronaut and engineer Kay Hire? Kay became the 34th woman to fly in space when she flew as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. She returned to orbit aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. What questions do you have for her about the space shuttle, or perhaps the plans to return to the Moon and even reach Mars? You can submit your question via our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
    #13MinutestotheMoon

    • 1 min
    S2 Ep.07 Resurrection

    S2 Ep.07 Resurrection

    “I still have nightmares about this.” Can the crew survive the dangers of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere? An error could see them either incinerated or becoming lost forever in deep space. #13MinutestotheMoon
    For more Apollo films and photos: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
    Presented by Kevin Fong.
    Archive: Nasa
    Starring
    Jim Lovell
    John Aaron
    Dave Reed
    Hal Loden
    Jerry Bostick
    Jim Kelly
    Fred Haise
    Charlie Duke
    Joe Kerwin
    Gene Kranz, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
    Chuck Deiterich
    Marilyn Lovell
    Gerry Griffin
    Written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker
    Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
    BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

    • 1 hr
    S2 Bonus 02: John Aaron

    S2 Bonus 02: John Aaron

    Special episode with Nasa legend, flight controller John Aaron.
    This extended interview ranges from John first learning about the explosion, to
    his doubts and fears during Apollo 13¹s descent through the Earth¹s
    atmosphere. #13MinutestotheMoon
    Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers
    Music

    • 39 min
    S2 Bonus 01: Jim Lovell

    S2 Bonus 01: Jim Lovell

    Special episode with Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell. An extended interview.
    The true space pioneer talks to Kevin Fong about everything from the shocking moment of the explosion to the enormous relief of the splashdown.
    #13MinutestotheMoon
    Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music

    • 41 min
    S2 Ep.06 Earth in view

    S2 Ep.06 Earth in view

    The crew are off course, 200,000 miles from home and without a guidance computer. Their lives now depend on their flying skills - and Jim Lovell’s wristwatch. #13MinutestotheMoon
    For more Apollo films and photos: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
    Presented by Kevin Fong.
    Archive: Nasa
    Starring
    Chuck Deiterich
    Jim Lovell
    Poppy Northcutt
    Fred Haise
    Jim Kelly
    John Aaron
    Joe Kerwin
    Written by Kevin Fong and Chris Browning
    Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
    BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

    • 31 min
    S2 Ep.05 Life support

    S2 Ep.05 Life support

    “We were being poisoned by our own exhalation.” Carbon dioxide threatens to kill the crew. Mission control must improvise as the most fragile system of all is under threat: the astronauts themselves. #13MinutestotheMoon
    For a film about how the crew made the makeshift CO2 adaptors: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
    Presented by Kevin Fong.
    Archive: Nasa
    Starring:
    Jim Lovell
    Merlin Merritt
    Anthony England
    Ed Smylie, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
    Fred Haise
    Marilyn Lovell
    Ken Mattingly
    Charles A Berry
    Joe Kerwin
    Gerry Griffin
    Written by Kevin Fong and Chris Browning
    Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
    BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

    • 34 min

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5
141 Ratings

141 Ratings

jo Reunion ,

Gripping tale

Well documented and gripping. 4 stars because of the lengthy, repetitive introduction at the beginning of each episode. Another interesting story and definitely sadder is the one of Apollo 10. These men travelled to the surface of the moon, short of landing. They too traveled to the moon, got the Eagle out to hover over the moon surface. They were given too little petrol to stop them from landing in case they were tempted to disobey orders. The moon was in tantalising close reach. But they didn’t land; that was reserved for the next crew. They took even greater risks (because they tested things for the first time) and always remained anonymous to the world, forever in the shadow of the Apollo 11 « heroes ». A tough pill to swallow no doubt. Perhaps the real heroes are those that are left untold.

DirkinHeusden ,

Extraordinary!

The makers of “13 minutes” have honoured the extraordinary people that worked on the lunar landing and the Apollo 13 rescue by delivering a truly worldclass podcast. Extremely well documented, tense, exciting and emotional.

bolognese126 ,

13 minutes to the moon

Just brilliant! I can't refrain from listening again and again.

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