Is human spaceflight worth the risk? It’s a time of soul searching for the whole shuttle crew. The space shuttle programme is put on hold for two years, as Nasa and the team come to terms with what happened. Some leave but others stay on board to help. The shuttle team work to rebuild Nasa and the programme. But some ask the question: what is it all for? Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects.13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock.Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.Archive:
Birth of the space shuttle, Nasa Archives, 1972
Ronald Reagan addresses nation after STS-51-L accident, Reagan Library, 1986
Richard Nixon launches Nasa's space shuttle program, CBS News, 1972
STS-26 launch coverage, BBC, 1988
Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

Is human spaceflight worth the risk? It’s a time of soul searching for the whole shuttle crew. The space shuttle programme is put on hold for two years, as Nasa and the team come to terms with what happened. Some leave but others stay on board to help. The shuttle team work to rebuild Nasa and the programme. But some ask the question: what is it all for? Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects. 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. Archive: Birth of the space shuttle, Nasa Archives, 1972 Ronald Reagan addresses nation after STS-51-L accident, Reagan Library, 1986 Richard Nixon launches Nasa's space shuttle program, CBS News, 1972 STS-26 launch coverage, BBC, 1988 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

The Space Shuttle: 9. What is it all for?

NEW: Artemis and the return to the Moon. The BBC’s space podcast is following Artemis II, with an episode every day during the mission. Nasa plans to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century and the next step is Artemis II. The mission aims to send four astronauts – on a spacecraft called Orion - to loop around the Moon. They plan to go further from Earth than any human in history. The story of Artemis II is being told by space scientist, Maggie Aderin, and British astronaut, Tim Peake. They are joined by expert contributors, US space journalist Kristin Fisher and the BBC News Science Editor, Rebecca Morelle.
 
Orion’s crew is Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The last crewed mission to The Moon was Apollo 17 in 1972.13 Minutes is the BBC’s space podcast, telling epic space stories. It’s produced by the BBC Audio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.
 
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.Previous seasons:Season 1: 13 Minutes to the Moon.
The first Moon landing. In the final dramatic 13-minute descent to the Moon, the Apollo 11 mission came close to going badly wrong. Communication was breaking down, technology was failing and fuel was running out. This is the story of how the first Moon landing was saved. Presented by Kevin Fong.Season 2: Apollo 13.
Apollo 13 should have been the third Moon landing, but after an explosion, it almost ended in tragedy. Told by the people who flew it and saved it. Presented and co-written by Kevin Fong.Season 3: The Space Shuttle. 
A sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. From the boldest test flight in history to one of Nasa’s darkest days – the Challenger disaster. Space scientist Maggie Aderin tells the awe-inspiring story of the programme that brought triumph and tragedy. Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects.

Society & Culture

Documentary

History

NEW: Artemis and the return to the Moon. The BBC’s space podcast is following Artemis II, with an episode every day during the mission. Nasa plans to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century and the next step is Artemis II. The mission aims to send four astronauts – on a spacecraft called Orion - to loop around the Moon. They plan to go further from Earth than any human in history. The story of Artemis II is being told by space scientist, Maggie Aderin, and British astronaut, Tim Peake. They are joined by expert contributors, US space journalist Kristin Fisher and the BBC News Science Editor, Rebecca Morelle. Orion’s crew is Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The last crewed mission to The Moon was Apollo 17 in 1972. 13 Minutes is the BBC’s space podcast, telling epic space stories. It’s produced by the BBC Audio Science Unit for the BBC World Service. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. Previous seasons: Season 1: 13 Minutes to the Moon. The first Moon landing. In the final dramatic 13-minute descent to the Moon, the Apollo 11 mission came close to going badly wrong. Communication was breaking down, technology was failing and fuel was running out. This is the story of how the first Moon landing was saved. Presented by Kevin Fong. Season 2: Apollo 13. Apollo 13 should have been the third Moon landing, but after an explosion, it almost ended in tragedy. Told by the people who flew it and saved it. Presented and co-written by Kevin Fong. Season 3: The Space Shuttle. A sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. From the boldest test flight in history to one of Nasa’s darkest days – the Challenger disaster. Space scientist Maggie Aderin tells the awe-inspiring story of the programme that brought triumph and tragedy. Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects.

Share The Space Shuttle: 9. What is it all for?

Sign up to save your podcasts

The Space Shuttle: 9. What is it all for?

The Space Shuttle: 9. What is it all for?

More shows like 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

Global News Podcast

Business Daily

More or Less

Newshour

World Business Report

In Our Time

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

No Such Thing As A Fish

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

Dan Snow's History Hit

Curious Cases

The Life Scientific

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

Elis James and John Robins

You're Dead to Me

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

The Bomb

The Rest Is History

Cyber Hack

Sport's Strangest Crimes

Uncanny

The Rest Is Politics

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

Believe in Magic

The Global Story

Miss Me?

The History Podcast

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

The Rest Is Classified

The History Bureau