13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

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13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

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Epic space stories. From the first Moon landing, to Apollo 13, to the Space Shuttle. Told by the people who made them happen. NEW: 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-Pocock tells the awe-inspiring story of the programme that brought triumph and tragedy. Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects. 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 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. 13 Minutes is produced by the BBC Audio Science Unit for the BBC World Service. Season 3 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

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  1. Introducing: The Space Shuttle

    EPISODE 1

    Introducing: The Space Shuttle

    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.

    3 min
  2. The Space Shuttle: 1. The spaceplane

    EPISODE 1

    The Space Shuttle: 1. The spaceplane

    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

    44 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Space Shuttle: 5. Space truck

    President Ronald Reagan declares the space shuttle open for business. It’s Independence Day 1982. And we’re in the sweltering Mojave desert of California. Carrying commercial satellites into orbit is one of the shuttle’s jobs. But things start to go wrong for the astronauts when a $75-million satellite is lost in space. And that’s just the start of a series of unfortunate events. Can they fix it and prove the space shuttle’s worth? 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: Ronald Reagan declares Space Shuttle open for business, Reagan Library, 1982 The story of satellite WESTAR 6 and Palapa, CBS News, 1986 STS 41-B coverage, CBS News and KTRH News, 1984 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    44 min

  4. 20 JUL • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 2. The greatest test flight

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 21st July. The astronauts count down to flying a brand-new spacecraft for the very first time. If they pull it off, they will earn a place in space history. The rocket is built. The astronauts are trained. Mission control is ready. Space Shuttle Columbia is about to attempt the unheard of. A crewed test flight. It's 12 April 1981. The morning of launch for the very first space shuttle mission. The shuttle is sitting on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. And strapped into their seats on the flight deck of orbiter Columbia are commander John Young and pilot Bob Crippen. Everyone at Nasa has been waiting almost a decade for this day. It’s taken an army of designers, engineers, ground crew, flight controllers, and backroom staff to get to this point. To bring this vehicle to life. Will this new machine fly? This episode contains scenes some listeners may find upsetting. 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: Launch of STS-1, BBC, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, 1981 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    43 min

  5. 27 JUL • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 3. Glass rocket

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 28th July. Columbia reaches orbit. But astronaut Bob Crippen discovers that the shuttle has been damaged – can he and John Young make it home safely? Parts of the heatshield to protect the shuttle from searing temperatures on re-entry to Earth have fallen off during the journey into space. This new heatshield has never been tested before in orbit. Could more tiles be missing? 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: Nichelle Nichols NASA advertisement, Nasa Archives, 1977 STS-1 Columbia landing sequence, ABC News, CBS News, 1981 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    46 min

  6. 3 AUG • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 4. The 35 new guys

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 4th August. Nasa recruits women and ethnic minorities for the first time to its astronaut class. In the beginning of American spaceflight, all astronauts selected for the programme came from the same background. They were all male, all white – all test pilots. But now, with a revolutionary new spacecraft, and changing views in society, Nasa needs to change. They’re not just looking for people to pilot the shuttle, but engineers, scientists, and medical doctors. Can Nasa change its culture? This episode contains strong language. 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: Mercury seven press conference, Nasa Archives, 1959 Nichelle Nichols Nasa advertisement, Nasa Archives, 1977 Where dreams come true, Nasa Archives, 1979 First female and African-American astronauts train at Nasa, ABC News, 1978 Ronald Reagan declares Space Shuttle open for business, Reagan Library, 1982 Sally Ride interview, ITN, 1983 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    43 min

  7. 17 AUG • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 6. Satellite for sale

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 18th August. Can the crew rescue the million-dollar space satellite lost in orbit? Two car-sized satellites, worth $75 million each, are stranded in space. Five astronauts have been selected to bring them back. It’s something that has never been attempted before. In outer space, even the simplest of tasks can be a challenge, let alone trying to snatch a satellite from orbit. And right when the crew think they’ve got it all under control, they discover a problem they’re not prepared for. It’s time to improvise. This episode contains strong language. 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: STS 41-B coverage, CBS News and KTRH News, 1984 STS-51-A coverage, CBS News, 1984 Lost in space, BBC, 1985. Ronald Reagan announces teacher in space programme, Reagan Library, 1984 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    45 min

  8. 24 AUG • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 7. Teacher in space

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 25th August. Nasa needs to kick-start new interest in the space shuttle. After multiple missions, public attention is waning and funding could suffer. Nasa want to do something about it. And come up with an innovative plan. How about recruiting an astronaut from the classroom? The first teacher on a space mission. Nasa runs a competition, and the winner is Christa McAuliffe, a 36-year-old social studies teacher from New Hampshire. But has she got what it takes for the challenges of space? This episode contains scenes some listeners may find upsetting. 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: Ronald Reagan announces teacher in space programme, Reagan Library, 1984 George Bush announces Christa McAuliffe as teacher in space, Reagan Archive, 1984 Teacher training KC-135 flight, Nasa Archives, 1985 Teachers watch launch, Nasa Archives, 1985 Pre-flight press conference STS-51-L, 1986 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    43 min

  9. 31 AUG • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 8. A major malfunction

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 1st September. The Challenger tragedy shocks a nation, as millions watch on TV screens across the USA. Something has gone catastrophically wrong with the launch of space shuttle mission STS-51L. As they watch a fireball engulf the spacecraft, nobody in mission control has any idea what went wrong. Could it have been prevented? We turn back the clock to a meeting the day before the launch which might have changed everything. This episode contains scenes some listeners may find upsetting. 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: Ronald Reagan announces Roger Commission inquiry, Reagan Library, 1986 Roger Boisjoly, Larry Mulloy and Dr James Fletcher, statements to the Rogers Commission, 1986 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    51 min

  10. 8 SEPT • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

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

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 8th September. 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

    38 min

  11. 15 SEPT • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    The Space Shuttle: 10. Return to flight

    To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 15th September. The space shuttle is back. Discovery stands waiting on launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center. It has taken more than two years to get here. Nasa has listened and changed. After all these months of work, this should be one of the safest missions ever flown. But as Discovery finally rises skyward, the Challenger disaster is on everyone’s mind. There are unspoken questions about the very future of spaceflight. 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: Return to flight, Nasa Archives, 1988 Ronald Reagan speaks at STS-4 launch, Reagan Library, 1982 STS-26 coverage, CNN, CBS News, BBC, 1988 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

    33 min
See All Season 3 (11)

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Epic space stories. From the first Moon landing, to Apollo 13, to the Space Shuttle. Told by the people who made them happen. NEW: 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-Pocock tells the awe-inspiring story of the programme that brought triumph and tragedy. Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects. 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 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. 13 Minutes is produced by the BBC Audio Science Unit for the BBC World Service. Season 3 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

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