13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II
BBC World Service
The BBC’s space podcast. The story of Artemis II: Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon. Nasa returned to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. The Artemis II mission sent astronauts – on a spacecraft called Orion - around the Moon...
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
Technology Podcasts
Description:
The BBC’s space podcast. The story of Artemis II: Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon. Nasa returned to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. The Artemis II mission sent astronauts – on a spacecraft called Orion - around the Moon and to go further from Earth than any human in history. We followed Artemis II, with an episode every day during the mission. The story of Artemis II is 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. Special guests include: John Blevins, chief engineer for Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II astronaut Jacki Mahaffey, Artemis II chief training officer Professor Sara Russell, planetary scientist Dr Kelsey Young, lead science officer and lunar science lead for Artemis II Dr Anna Fisher, former space shuttle astronaut 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.
Language:
English
Episodes
Artemis II: 13. Splashdown
4/11/2026
After 9 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes and 15 seconds and 1.1 million kilometres of travel, the Orion “Integrity” probe splashed down successfully on April 11th at 00:07:32 UTC (GMT).
Tim Peake, Maggie Aderin, Kristin Fisher, Rebecca Morelle and the 13 Minutes podcast touches down with this episode. We are also joined by Nasa legend and former shuttle astronaut, Dr Anna Fisher to reflect on the mission.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II will return.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith Commissioning team: Jon Manel, Anne Dixey and Katy Davis
Duration:00:35:41
Artemis II: 12. Please return to your seats
4/10/2026
The Artemis II mission hurtles towards re-entry and splashdown. The 13 Minutes crew run through the schedule that includes 28,864 mph, searing heat, 11 parachutes, and 3.9g forces.
Long-time Nasa scientist Dr Phil Metzger talks about the issue of AVCOAT – the ablative coating that will shield the capsule’s flat underside. And we also talk about his work at Nasa’s “Swamp Works” where much was studied about building structures on the moon for a moonbase.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:40:10
Artemis II: 11. Science surprises
4/9/2026
The Artemis II crew are getting ever closer to home and preparing for re-entry.
Hosts astronaut Tim Peake and space scientist Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher, who shares the latest updates from the mission. Plus, we answer more of your burning questions.
And Dr Kelsey Young, lead science officer and lunar science lead for Artemis II, shares her excitement about the crew’s lunar observations so far. She tells us what she’s been surprised by, what new science we’ve already learnt, and how they trained the astronauts to become geologists.
You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:42:32
Artemis II: 10. How to train your astronaut
4/8/2026
After all the excitement of the lunar fly-by, the Artemis II crew are taking a breather, and have a long-distance call with the astronauts on board the International Space Station. Besides the Artemis II and ISS crews, there are other humans up in space too. China’s Tiangong space station is currently home to three taikonauts. Hosts astronaut Tim Peake and space scientist Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher to discuss China’s progress in their lunar program so far. And Artemis II chief training officer Jacki Mahaffey tells Tim, Maggie and Kristin how the crew were trained to expect the unexpected, how astronaut preparation has changed since the Apollo days, and how she feels about the upcoming splashdown. You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:29:07
Artemis II: 9. Bye bye, fly-by
4/7/2026
It’s been a busy 24 hours for the Artemis II crew. They have completed a lunar fly-by, surpassed the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet Earth, gone through a communications black out period, and witnessed a lunar eclipse.
Host space scientist Maggie Aderin is joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher who, like many of us, stayed up to watch the fly-by. And BBC News science editor Rebecca Morelle calls in from Houston to give us the latest from mission control. The first pictures back were published by Nasa just as this episode began recording.
And former BBC space correspondent Jonathan Amos joins the “13 minutes community”, giving his perspective on the historic mission and the events of the last 24 hrs.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:44:50
Artemis II: 8. Final Approach
4/6/2026
Now thoroughly within the lunar gravitational sphere of influence, Artemis II’s crew perform final preparations for the flyby and nearest approach. Very shortly they will break the human distance record from earth.
But listeners ask, why will they go further than Apollo 13 went?
They will shortly be the only people to see a unique solar eclipse, survey parts of the lunar far side never gazed upon with human eyes, and enter a communication blackout for around 45 minutes, with only themselves for company.
Astronaut psychology is one of the most important areas of space science. Before working on Nasa's Twins study, Dr Mathias Basner developed a test for astronauts’ cognition testing. Why? Because astronauts are such over-performers that ordinary tests that the rest of us would be subjected to barely register. So… how did Tim score when he had to do them?
But tonight, all eyes are on the moon.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:39:58
Artemis II: 7. A Family Photo
4/5/2026
With the toilet venting problem endangering the spacecraft Integrity’s Michelin rating, BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle drops by to update us on the unmentionables. The team answer more listeners questions; what do we mean by zero-g, and will there ever be permanent relay satellites around the moon to prevent the forthcoming communications blackout?
Tim Peake, Kristin Fisher and Maggie Aderin discuss the impact on mission architecture that the plurality of commercial launch providers are having in this new space race.
The Artemis II crew have also been sending down more of their photographs of Earth and the growing Moon from Integrity, the Orion spacecraft. With more and more talk on the mission becoming camera related, photographic restoration specialist and bestseller “Apollo Remastered” author Andy Saunders joins Tim, Maggie and Kristin to discuss what we can learn from these pictures and how photography has changed since Nasa’s early space programs.
You can get in touch with the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II team by emailing 13minutes@bbc.co.uk.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:39:57
Artemis II: 6. Halfway There
4/4/2026
Nasa’s Artemis II crew are now closer to the Moon than they are to Earth. Hosts astronaut Tim Peake and space scientist Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher, who gives us the latest on the crew’s momentous journey, as the Integrity spacecraft begins its gentle deceleration before the point when the moon’s gravity starts pulling it more strongly than the earth’s.
And the team answer a question from listener Mark. Has Artemis II had to dodge space junk on its way to the Moon, and if so, how is it detected and avoided?
And planetary scientist Professor Sara Russell joins Tim, Maggie and Kristin to explain how the Moon got its water, what resources are drawing private companies to the Moon, and what a future lunar base would have to look like to withstand the Moon’s conditions.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents Artemis Two is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:36:15
Artemis II: 5. No Going Back
4/3/2026
The loop round the Moon target is confirmed by the last major engine burn of the mission. It’s the first time the European Service Module engine has been used this way.
Sian Cleaver of Airbus Defence and Space, who has been central to the construction of the service module joins Tim, Maggie and Kristen to talk about flapping solar panels and future, even more ambitious, Artemis missions.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents Artemis Two is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:34:22
Artemis II: 4. Launch after-party
4/2/2026
The moment we’ve all been waiting for… Nasa’s Artemis II mission has launched.
Next up is the big decision whether to commit to the lunar flyby and the big engine burn that will need. Testing systems and life-support continues, with engine burns slowly lifting the height of the earth orbit, raising the speed at which the Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) leap into history can begin.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:26:19
Artemis II: 3. Man around the Moon
4/1/2026
Astronaut Jeremy Hansen talks exclusively before his first space launch on Artemis II. What will lift-off be like and how will he feel? He joins BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle and our host, astronaut Tim Peake, as we move ever closer to the historic mission around the moon. Space scientist and host Maggie Aderin will also give her insight, with just hours to go before the expected launch. The team are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher, with all the latest from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from where lift-off will happen. Space is in Kristin’s blood as both her parents were astronauts. We give a rundown of immediate post-lift-off plans for the mission, and profile the other crew members (what luxury item are they taking with them?), before an extended interview with the first Canadian to visit the moon’s close neighbourhood. Jeremy talks about Artemis II being personally his first spaceflight, his hopes for inspiring a watching world, and the international nature of the flight. Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents Artemis Two is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:41:19
Artemis II: 2. Rocket Man
3/31/2026
Nasa’s Artemis II mission looks set to launch towards the Moon on April 1st, after months of delays.
Presenters Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher, who has just touched down in Florida. Kristin fills us in on the latest from the Kennedy Space Center and how the countdown to launch is looking.
And we take a more detailed look at the machine standing ready on launchpad 39B. We’re joined by John Blevins, chief engineer for Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) – in other words, the rocket that will blast the four astronauts towards the Moon. John shares how crucial the SLS is to the mission and what we can expect from it on launch day.
Season 4 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
13 Minutes Presents Artemis Two is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:27:25
Why are Nasa, and partners, returning to the Moon?
3/30/2026
Nasa’s Artemis II mission looks set to launch towards the Moon on April 1st, after months of delays. Presenters Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher and BBC News Science Editor Rebecca Morelle for the latest updates from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
And more than 50 years on from the last lunar crewed mission, why is Nasa returning to the Moon now? And what is the international context? Journalist and author Tim Marshall calls in to discuss the new space race.
Join us as we follow the Artemis II mission every day for the next two weeks.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.
13 Minutes Season 4 theme music is by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Series editor: Martin Smith
Duration:00:46:46
Update: Aiming for April
3/17/2026
Artemis II is “on track” to launch in April. And so are we – with our brand-new season of 13 Minutes, which will start a couple of days before lift off. Astronaut Tim Peake is co-presenting 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II and has the latest news. The mission had been set to begin in early March, but a helium leak was discovered. Nasa says it's confident the problem has been fixed. Now, the earliest possible launch date is 1 April.
The mission is set to see astronauts flying around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Tim spent 186 days at the International Space Station, so what’s it like to be an astronaut waiting for lift off? What final preparations are made? And what determines the launch date?
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II will take off two days before the launch. Tim will be joined by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock and US space journalist Kristin Fisher to bring you a space story in real time. Every day of the mission, the team will have the latest news, key details about the rocket and the crew, and they’ll hear from the people who’re making it all happen.
Join us later this month as we travel together towards the far side of the Moon.
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Duration:00:02:56
Trailer: The new mission to the Moon
2/17/2026
The countdown is on to 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II, following Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon. We’ll have an Artemis II episode every day. Nasa is hoping to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. The story of Artemis II will be told by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, British astronaut Tim Peake, and US space journalist Kristin Fisher. Strap yourself in for another epic journey from the BBC’s space podcast, 13 Minutes. The Artemis II 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. Orion’s crew is scheduled to be Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II will begin around two days before the launch.
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Duration:00:04:58
What to listen to next: History’s Toughest Heroes
10/22/2025
13 Minutes will return with a new season in 2026 but in the meantime, we recommend History’s Toughest Heroes. The actor Ray Winstone tells stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge. These are tales of fearsome heroes from across history including arctic explorers, medieval knights and Hollywood stuntwomen. This episode is about an arctic explorer, trapped in a snow drift the size of a coffin. How will he survive frostbite and make it out alive?
Please note, this episode contains some vivid descriptions of what it is like to have frostbite. To listen to more episodes of History’s Toughest Heroes, search wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Duration:00:28:37
The Space Shuttle: 10. Return to flight
9/14/2025
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
Duration:00:32:58
The Space Shuttle: 9. What is it all for?
9/7/2025
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
Duration:00:38:29
The Space Shuttle: 8. A major malfunction
8/31/2025
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
Duration:00:51:12
The Space Shuttle: 7. Teacher in space
8/24/2025
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
Duration:00:43:28