13 Minutes to the Moon

4.7 (4.1K)
DOCUMENTARY

Listen ad-free to these epic space stories

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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.

02/29/2024

Bonus: The Global Story

Why everyone wants to get back to the moon - a special episode with Kevin Fong. The United States has just returned to the moon for the first time in 50 years. But they are not the only country in the world with their sights set on space exploration. Why are countries like India, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia trying to complete their own lunar landings? Katya Adler speaks with Kevin Fong and Jonathan Amos, the BBC’s science correspondent. To hear more episodes, search for The Global Story, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

25 min
05/17/2023

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

2 min
06/07/2020

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

1h 1m
04/16/2020

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

40 min
04/14/2020

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
04/12/2020

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
04/05/2020

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

35 min
03/29/2020

S2 Ep.04 Power brokers

Power must be brutally rationed after the crew fly around the Moon. As systems are switched off, their cold, dark ship is reduced to little more than a husk coasting in space. #13MinutestotheMoon Watch videos about the Apollo 13 mission: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes Presented by Kevin Fong. Archive: Nasa Starring: Gerry Griffin Jim Kelly Gene Kranz, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project John Aaron Jim Lovell Fred Haise Dave Reed Jerry Bostick Chuck Deiterich Merlin Merritt Bill Peters Written by Kevin Fong and Mark Rickards Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

45 min

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The day’s top stories from BBC News. Keeping you informed on the important global events, including the latest on US politics and developments in Ukraine and Gaza. Delivered twice a day at weekends, daily at weekends. Follow or subscribe, so you never miss an episode. Also listen to The Happy Pod, every Saturday, for the happiest stories of the week. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

4.3 (6564)

DAILY NEWS
The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium for Joan of Arc to become a saint? And was Catherine the Great really all that great? Whether you want to explore ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, dance through the history of Broadway and Bollywood, or find out how the Tudors rose to power, Greg and his guests promise to teach you something new that you won’t have heard in history lessons. Previous episodes of You’re Dead To Me have covered everything from royals to revolutionaries, actors to activists and divas to dictators. Take a stroll through the history of high-heeled shoes or get the scoop on the history of ice cream. Maybe you’d like to paint like the cave artists of the Palaeolithic era, work out like a Victorian bodybuilder, or fight like a Spartan? We’ve even hosted a special, live episode with the BBC Concert Orchestra to explore the dramatic life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whatever your historical interests, Greg and his guests make even the trickiest topics easy to follow. Join them for a history lesson that’s as entertaining as it is enlightening - with no homework required.

4.7 (2602)

HISTORY
Season 7: World of Secrets presents: The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam. Also: Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods. Women accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of rape. And: The Abercrombie Guys. Investigating sexual exploitation claims against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch. Delve into a World of Secrets: the global investigations podcast from the BBC. Uncovering stories around the world and telling them, episode by episode, with gripping storytelling. Latest season: World of Secrets presents, The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam. It was the biggest gold discovery in history…until it wasn’t. In 1995, Canadian mining company Bre-X announced to the world it had found a significant amount of gold deep in the jungles of Indonesia. Stock prices soared as investors worldwide fought to stake their claim. But when Bre-X’s chief geologist mysteriously fell from a helicopter over the jungle, the story of the billion dollar discovery began to unravel. Nearly three decades later, no one has ever been held accountable. Now, host Suzanne Wilton takes listeners from the jungles of Indonesia to small town Alberta, Canada, to investigate what really happened and find out more about the man behind the biggest goldmine fraud of all time. Produced for the BBC World Service and CBC by BBC Scotland Productions. The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam was first published in May 2024. Previous seasons of World of Secrets: Season 6: The Bad Guru. A yoga school in London. A guru running from the police. How did Miranda get sucked in? Journalist Cat McShane investigates the international yoga movement headed by Gregorian Bivolaru, the spiritual guide arrested by French police in November 2023 and charged with human trafficking, organised kidnapping, rape and organised abuse of weakness by members of a sect. Season 5: Finding Mr Fox. Investigating a plot to smuggle around a hundred millions of dollars’ worth of drugs from Brazil to Europe and the miscarriage of justice that followed. But where is the man Brazilian police believe to be at the centre of it all? Season 4: Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods. Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed – then owner of Harrods, one of the most famous shops in the world – is accused of rape and attempted rape by women who worked for him. Now they refuse to be silenced any longer. Season 3: The Apartheid Killer. All the victims were black and the youngest was just 12 years old. Some relatives are still searching for the graves. They were killed during a three-year bloodbath in the 1980s, in the South African city of East London – by one person. He killed so many, he lost count. In piecing together this story, we expose the disturbed past and racial injustices of South Africa itself. Season 2: The Disciples. The cult of Nigerian prophet TB Joshua. A story of miracles, faith and manipulation, told by people from around the world, who gave up everything for one of the most powerful religious figures of the century. Lured by TB Joshua’s claimed healing powers, they live as disciples in a guarded Lagos compound, cut off from family and friends. Season 1: The Abercrombie Guys. An investigation into claims of sexual exploitation made against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch. He and his British partner were accused by several men, recruited for sex events they hosted around the world.

4.6 (821)

DOCUMENTARY
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

4.3 (900)

DAILY NEWS
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world. History fans can learn about pivotal wars and societal upheavals, such as the rise and fall of Napoleon, the Sack of Rome in 1527, and the political intrigue of the Russian Revolution. Those fascinated by the lives of kings and queens can journey to Versailles to meet Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV the Sun King, or to Ancient Egypt to meet Cleopatra and Nerfertiti. Or perhaps you’re looking to explore the history of religion, from Buddhism’s early teachings to the Protestant Reformation. If you’re interested in the stories behind iconic works of art, music and literature, dive in to discussions on the artistic genius of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers. From Gothic architecture to the works of Shakespeare, each episode of In Our Time offers new insight into humanity’s cultural achievements. Those looking to enrich their scientific knowledge can hear episodes on black holes, the Periodic Table, and classical theories of gravity, motion, evolution and relativity. Learn how the discovery of penicillin revolutionised medicine, and how the death of stars can lead to the formation of new planets. Lovers of philosophy will find episodes on the big issues that define existence, from free will and ethics, to liberty and justice. In what ways did celebrated philosophers such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Karl Marx push forward radical new ideas? How has the concept of karma evolved from the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism to today? What was Plato’s concept of an ideal republic, and how did he explore this through the legend of the lost city of Atlantis? In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas.

4.6 (4906)

HISTORY
Peak Danger is Season 2 of Extreme, the BBC podcast about those who chase the impossible... who strive for superhuman status and refuse to accept that life has any limits. Every season tells an unforgettable, action-packed story about people who’ve pushed their minds and bodies to the very edge – but at what cost? A mountain of trouble... In August 2008, around 30 climbers took on K2. Over 2 disastrous days, 11 of those people would lose their lives. This is the story of what really happened. Sitting on the border between China and Pakistan, K2 is a perfect pyramid that pierces through the clouds. It looks like a kid’s drawing of a mountain…but this terrifying peak is anything but child’s play. Newlyweds Cecilie Skog and her husband Rolf Bae loved climbing mountains almost as much as they loved one another. In the summer of 2008, they embarked on a honeymoon like no other, when they decided to climb K2. What happened next would change their lives and the lives of everyone around them…forever. A devastating avalanche scatters high altitude climbers across K2’s steep slopes. Life and death rescue missions quickly get underway. Who can be saved… before time runs out? Historian and podcaster Natalia Mehlman Petrzela returns with a sky-high story of human vs nature, and of survival against all the odds. What does it really take to push yourself to the brink of human possibility? How does it feel to stand with the whole world at your feet? And is it ever worth risking death… in order to feel alive?

4.4 (76)

PERSONAL JOURNALS

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4.7

out of 5

4,094 Ratings

Incredible

12/22/2024

TLKingdom

The best. But where is season 3 you speak of? 🧐
Excellent Podcast

09/12/2024

Ranco10

I can’t say enough good things about 13 Minutes. Even though you know how the story ends, learning the details from the people who lived it and made it happen is captivating. This may be the only podcast (both seasons) that I’ll want to listen to again.
Historically Accurate

07/14/2024

57brewer

I have been a space geek since Allen Shepherd had his first suborbital mission. Every account I’ve heard on this podcast seems 100% accurate and very well researched. Good job BBC and Kevin Fong! Keep up the good work!
Excellent!

03/06/2024

Chicoartist

A scholarly podcast if there ever was one. This is what podcasts are supposed to be! I’m keeping this series on my phone to listen to multiple times ... thanks, guys! 😎👍🏼