The Space Shuttle: 2. The greatest test flight

Can Nasa build the most complex flying machine in space history? The plan is to create a permanent human presence in space. It’s Spring 1969 - two months before the launch of Apollo 11 – the first US mission to land humans on the moon. But meanwhile, hidden away from public view, Nasa is thinking the unthinkable. Maverick engineer Dr Max Faget is already a legend within Nasa. He’s fascinated by what could be next for human spaceflight. In a backroom, of Building 36 at Johnson Space Center, he invites a handful of engineers to a meeting. One of them is Ivy Hooks, a mathematician and engineer. And one of the first female engineers at Nasa. Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects.13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for 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: Richard Nixon launches Nasa’s space shuttle programme, CBS News, 1972 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

14 Heinä 43min

To launch like a rocket and land like a plane. The space shuttle: A sci-fi dream that became reality and changed spaceflight forever. Told by the Nasa astronauts, engineers, scientists and support staff who made it happen. Our multi award-winning podcast returns on 14 July 2025 with: 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle. Presented by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock. She tells the story of triumph and tragedy, and the human story behind the technology and scientific endeavour. A BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Season 3 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.

25 Kesä 3min

Can the Apollo 13 crew survive re-entering Earth’s atmosphere aboard the revived Odyssey spacecraft? After four days in a spacecraft with dwindling power and oxygen supplies, the astronauts face a series of critical tests on their journey home. One mistake could see Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise incinerated or lost forever in deep space. In the final moments of radio silence, Nasa mission control begins to fear the worst.Hosted 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 Dietrich Marilyn Lovell Gerry GriffinWritten by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers MusicA BBC Radio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service.

7 Kesä 20201h

Nasa flight controller John Aaron talks to Kevin Fong about the ill-fated Apollo mission, from the moment of learning about the explosion to his fears during the spacecraft’s final descent through the Earth’s atmosphere.Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.

16 Huhti 202039min

Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell talks to Kevin Fong about the doomed Nasa mission, from the shocking moment of the explosion to the enormous relief of splashdown. Lovell reflects on survival, the global impact of Apollo 13, and what it meant to finally come back to Earth. He also shares the story of the lunar landmark he named in honour of his wife.Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.

14 Huhti 202041min

The Apollo 13 spacecraft goes off course. With no computer to guide them, the astronauts must rely on their flying skills to perform a high-stakes manoeuvre, timed with Commander Jim Lovell’s wristwatch, to get them back on target. If they fail, they risk being marooned in space. Their spaceflight home hangs in the balance.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Archive: Nasa Starring Chuck Deiterich Jim Lovell Poppy Northcutt Fred Haise Jim Kelly John Aaron Joe KerwinWritten by Kevin Fong and Chris Browning Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.A BBC Radio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service.

12 Huhti 202031min

Nasa mission control helps Apollo 13’s cold, exhausted astronauts survive deadly carbon dioxide levels in the spacecraft. The constant troubleshooting to stay alive has taken its toll, and the crew of Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise are at the limits of human endurance. Back home in Houston, the Nasa flight surgeon is so worried about the astronauts’ lack of sleep that he turns to Marilyn Lovell with an unusual request.For a film about how the crew made the makeshift CO2 adaptors: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutesPresented by Kevin Fong.Archive: NasaStarring: 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 GriffinWritten by Kevin Fong and Chris Browning Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.

5 Huhti 202034min