Nasa’s third mission to land astronauts on the Moon almost ends in tragedy. Apollo 13 is doomed from the start - it will never touch down on the lunar surface. Even before launch, a last-minute crew change and superstitions about the number 13 cast a shadow over the spaceflight. When an explosion triggers a catastrophic cascade of events, the space crew’s lives hang in the balance.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Archive:

Starring:

Written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker

Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.

Jump on board a doomed mission to the Moon. Apollo 13: the extraordinary story, told by the people who flew it and saved it. Lift off is on 9 March.

Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer reveals how he crafted the iconic 13 Minutes to the Moon theme. In this special episode, Zimmer reflects on the art of storytelling, his creative process, and the power of music to capture the wonder of space, sharing why this marks his first-ever score for a podcast.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.

#13MinutestotheMoon

Fifty years after the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing, we’re at Houston’s Rice University, where President John F. Kennedy delivered his iconic “We choose to go to the Moon” speech to reflect on one of humanity’s greatest achievements. In this season finale, a panel of leading space experts discuss the success of the Apollo programme, how it transformed science and technology and what it means for the future of lunar exploration.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Starring:

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music

#13MinutestotheMoon

This episode is being released 50 years after the first moon landing.

Nasa archive audio of the astronauts’ dramatic 13 minutes to the Moon, as heard by mission control. All of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s tense moments as they make space history. The recording captures the intense pressure and technical challenges during the landing, including low fuel and communication dropouts.

This is Nasa’s archive recording of Capcom Charlie Duke’s communications loop from 20 July 1969.

#13MinutestotheMoon

The epic story of the final 13 minutes of the Apollo Moon landing, including Nasa archive tape of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s historic space mission. The men and women behind this pioneering space mission share their memories and reflections on Apollo 11.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

We hear memories and reflections on Apollo 11 from:

Charlie Duke

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.

#13MinutestotheMoon

Apollo 11 mission is on the edge of failure, minutes away from the Moon landing. Fuel is low, the tech is stretched and astronaut Neil Armstrong is struggling with the rocky lunar surface. He’s flying Eagle like it’s never flown before as he searches for a safe place to land.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Starring:

Courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project:

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music

#13MinutestotheMoon

The 13-minute descent to the Moon begins, and it’s all going wrong for Apollo 11. They’re going too fast, alarms are flashing and the crew loses contact with Nasa mission control. The epic moments that almost jeopardised the first Moon landing.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Starring:

Courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project:

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.

#13MinutestotheMoon

The story of Michael Collins, Apollo 11’s third astronaut, in Nasa’s historic spaceflight. He played a crucial role as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. During those final 13 minutes to the lunar surface, his presence in space allows Nasa mission control to communicate with the ‘Eagle’ when it all starts to go wrong.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.

#13MinutestotheMoon

Nasa astronauts circle the Moon for the first time, capturing an iconic photo of Earth. Back home, the country is rocked by war, riots and the assassinations Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. The crew of the historic spaceflight lift the nation’s spirits with a televised Christmas Eve broadcast from space.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Starring:

Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.

#13MinutestotheMoon

This episode was updated on 19 June 2019.