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.

Apollo 13: Bonus 2. John Aaron

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.

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

The Space Shuttle: 1. The spaceplane

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.

Introducing: The Space Shuttle

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.

Apollo 13: 7. Resurrection

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.

Apollo 13: Bonus 1. Jim Lovell

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.

Apollo 13: 6. Earth in view

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.

Apollo 13: 5. Life support

Apollo astronauts freeze in darkness, struggling to save power. If the battery dies, so do the space crew. And as the damaged spacecraft loses its navigation systems, they must rely on the Sun for guidance. The astronauts' plight becomes a national crisis. Millions across the world tune in to the television coverage. Meanwhile, Nasa mission control faces a race against time to devise a plan, launching one of the greatest rescue missions in the history of space exploration.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Archive: 
Nasa
Johnson Space Center Oral History ProjectStarring:
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 RickardsTheme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.

Apollo 13: 4. Power brokers

The Apollo 13 astronauts escape to the lunar module, but their problems are far from over. The crew must now survive in a spacecraft never meant for such a journey. Will this fragile refuge be enough? Meanwhile, Nasa mission control faces a critical test of leadership and ingenuity to keep the space crew alive. At home, Marilyn Lovell waits anxiously, unsure what to tell her kids.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Archive:
Nasa
Johnson Space Center Oral History ProjectStarring:
Glynn Lunney
Ken Mattingly (courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project)
Merlin Merritt
Jim Lovell
John Aaron
Fred Haise
John Devaney
Jerry Bostick
Poppy Northcutt 
George Kalan 
Dave Reed 
Chuck Deiterich
Marilyn Lovell
Susan Lovell
Jay LovellWritten by Kevin Fong and Mark Rickards Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.

Apollo 13:  3. Lifeboat

Nasa mission control scrambles to diagnose the Apollo 13 disaster. Aboard the spacecraft, warning lights flash and oxygen leaks into space, plunging Commander Jim Lovell and his crew into chaos. In Houston, his wife Marilyn receives a call, unaware the astronauts are losing far more than the Moon landing. With power failing in the Odyssey spacecraft and time running out, the crew face desperate action to survive.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Archive: 
Nasa
Johnson Space Center Oral History ProjectStarring:
Jim Lovell
Jack Lousma
Gene Kranz, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project 
Sy Liebergot
Bob Heselmeyer, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project 
Fred Haise
John Aaron
Marilyn LovellWritten by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-BakerTheme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.

Apollo 13:  2. Death of the Odyssey

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:
Nasa and CBS
Johnson Space Center Oral History ProjectStarring:
Jim Lovell
Marilyn Lovell
Fred Haise
John Aaron
Gerry Griffin
Gene Kranz, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
Charlie Duke
Jay Lovell
Sy Liebergot
Jack Lousma Written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-BakerTheme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.
This episode was updated on 16 March 2020.

Apollo 13: 1. Time bomb

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.
#13MinutestotheMoon
Presenter: Kevin Fong
Written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music

Apollo 13: Trailer, The Countdown

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
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: Bonus - The making of the music

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: 
John Aaron 
Gerry Griffin 
Walt Cunningham
Peggy WhitsonTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutesThis episode is being released 50 years after the first moon landing.

13 Minutes to the Moon: 12. Live from Houston

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

13 Minutes to the Moon: 11. The 13 minutes

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
Poppy Northcutt 
John Aaron 
Jim Lovell 
Margaret Hamilton 
George Abbey 
Michael Collins 
Bill CarpentierTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 10. ‘For all mankind’

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:
Steve Bales
Charlie Duke
Gerry GriffinCourtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project: 
Neil Armstrong 
Gene Kranz
Jack Garman
Bob Carlton Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 9. Tranquility Base

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:
Charlie Duke
Steve Bales
Don EylesCourtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project: 
Neil Armstrong
Gene Kranz
Jay Greene
Jack Garman
Bob CarltonTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 8. ‘We’re go for powered descent’

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 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 7. Michael Collins: The third man

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:
John Aaron
Bill Anders 
Frank Borman
Jerry Bostick
Michael Collins
Jim Lovell
Poppy Northcutt
Katherine Johnson courtesy of WHRO 
Chris Kraft courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History ProjectTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutesThis episode was updated on 19 June 2019.

13 Minutes to the Moon:  6. Saving 1968

How a briefcase-sized computer, less powerful than a smartphone, pioneered space tech for the first Moon landing. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin rely on the software to guide their spaceflight to the lunar surface. Developed by a pioneering team of programmers, including trailblazing scientist Margaret Hamilton, the Apollo Guidance Computer helps usher in the digital age.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Starring:
Ramon Alonso
Elaine Denniston
Charlie Duke
Don Eyles
Eldon Hall
Margaret Hamilton
Dan Lickly Theme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon:  5. The fourth astronaut

Nasa’s ambitions for a historic Moon landing by the end of the 1960s are threatened by a deadly launchpad inferno. Three astronauts are killed, and it is one of the Apollo programme’s darkest moments. After making safety changes, Nasa turns tragedy into triumph. It sends a crew into space, tests the Apollo spacecraft, and paves the way for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s legendary first steps on the lunar surface.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Starring:
George Abbey
Walt Cunningham 
Glynn Lunney
Gerry Griffin
John Aaron
Jerry BostickCourtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project: 
Chris Kraft
Gene Kranz 
Wally Schirra
George Jeffs Courtesy of CBS News: 
Gus Grissom
Ed White
Roger ChaffeeTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music
#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 4. Fire to the Phoenix

The extraordinary story of the ‘Eagle’ spacecraft, which landed astronauts on the Moon. Built by Long Island engineers, it was a spacecraft like no other - one designed to land on another world. The result was the spidery lunar module, a spacecraft that was “difficult to fly and easy to crash”. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent hundreds of hours in the simulator to prepare for every possible manoeuvre required for the daring, final thirteen-minute descent to the lunar surface.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Starring:
Charlie Duke
Dick Dunne
John Devaney
Alan Contessa
Neil Armstrong courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
Tom Kelly courtesy of the MIT Museum CollectionsArchive: 
Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
Archive: MIT Museum CollectionsTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 3. Long Island Eagle

Crisis strikes Apollo 11. The Moon landing is threatened when an alarm goes off. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are minutes from the lunar surface when the spacecraft computer flashes error code 1202. It’s a major test for Nasa mission control - average age just 26. Flight controller Steve Bales must decide if the Moon landing can proceed. Can he and his team save this epic spaceflight in time? These engineers, scientists, controllers and programmers are the unsung heroes who worked behind the scenes to make one of history’s greatest space missions possible.Hosted by Kevin Fong.Starring:
Steve Bales
Charlie Duke
John Aaron
Glynn Lunney
Gerry Griffin
Jerry Bostick
Gene Kranz courtesy of the Johnson Space Center History Office Archive: Johnson Space Center History OfficeTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes

13 Minutes to the Moon: 2. Kids in control

President John F. Kennedy boldly vows that America will land the first astronaut on the Moon by the end of the 1960s. It’s the height of the Cold War. But with superpower rival the Soviet Union leading the space race, after launching the first human spaceflight, the odds seem stacked against them. The Apollo programme, the USA’s daring answer to the race to the Moon, is an epic journey of innovation and exploration. Can Nasa change the course of space history?Hosted by Kevin Fong.Starring:
Michael Collins
Steve Bales
Margaret Hamilton
Jim Lovell 
Charlie DukeTheme music by Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music#13MinutestotheMoon 
www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutesThis episode was updated on 14 May 2019.

13 Minutes to the Moon: 1. ‘We choose to go’, Apollo 11

The final part of our audio countdown to the launch of 13 Minutes to the Moon, with Kevin Fong. Lift off is on 13 May 2019.

13 Minutes to the Moon: Trailer, T-minus 1

Hans Zimmer has composed the 13 Minutes to the Moon theme music. It is the first time the Grammy and Academy Award winner has created music for a podcast.

13 Minutes to the Moon: Trailer, T-minus 2

Introducing 13 Minutes to the Moon, with Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham and former Apollo engineer Poppy Northcutt - the first woman to work as an engineer in an operational support role in NASA's Mission Control.

13 Minutes to the Moon: Trailer, T-minus 3

The countdown begins. The story of Apollo 11 – coming soon.