
13 Minutes to the Moon
Epic space stories.
Season 1: the first Moon landing, Apollo 11.
Season 2: the near disaster of Apollo 13.
Coming soon: Season 3, the space shuttle.
Theme music: Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Latest episodes

9 snips
Jun 7, 2020 • 1h 1min
S2 Ep.07 Resurrection
“I still have nightmares about this.” Can the crew survive the dangers of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere? An error could see them either incinerated or becoming lost forever in deep space. #13MinutestotheMoon
For more Apollo films and photos: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented 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 Deiterich
Marilyn Lovell
Gerry Griffin
Written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

Apr 16, 2020 • 40min
S2 Bonus 02: John Aaron
Special episode with Nasa legend, flight controller John Aaron.
This extended interview ranges from John first learning about the explosion, to
his doubts and fears during Apollo 13¹s descent through the Earth¹s
atmosphere. #13MinutestotheMoon
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers
Music

11 snips
Apr 14, 2020 • 41min
S2 Bonus 01: Jim Lovell
Jim Lovell recounts the intense moments of the Apollo 13 mission, from the explosion to the splashdown. The crew faces challenges in space, improvising solutions and overcoming obstacles. They show compassion and refuse stimulants, preparing for reentry and bidding farewell to the lunar module. The capsule experiences navigation issues but successfully lands in the Pacific Ocean, bringing relief to the astronauts.

10 snips
Apr 12, 2020 • 31min
S2 Ep.06 Earth in view
The crew are off course, 200,000 miles from home and without a guidance computer. Their lives now depend on their flying skills - and Jim Lovell’s wristwatch. #13MinutestotheMoon
For more Apollo films and photos: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented by Kevin Fong.
Archive: Nasa
Starring
Chuck Deiterich
Jim Lovell
Poppy Northcutt
Fred Haise
Jim Kelly
John Aaron
Joe Kerwin
Written by Kevin Fong and Chris Browning
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

8 snips
Apr 5, 2020 • 35min
S2 Ep.05 Life support
“We were being poisoned by our own exhalation.” Carbon dioxide threatens to kill the crew. Mission control must improvise as the most fragile system of all is under threat: the astronauts themselves. #13MinutestotheMoon
For a film about how the crew made the makeshift CO2 adaptors: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented by Kevin Fong.
Archive: Nasa
Starring:
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 Griffin
Written by Kevin Fong and Chris Browning
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

Mar 29, 2020 • 45min
S2 Ep.04 Power brokers
Power must be brutally rationed after the crew fly around the Moon. As systems are switched off, their cold, dark ship is reduced to little more than a husk coasting in space. #13MinutestotheMoon
Watch videos about the Apollo 13 mission: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented by Kevin Fong.
Archive: Nasa
Starring:
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 Rickards
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

Mar 23, 2020 • 45min
S2 Ep.03 Lifeboat
The astronauts are fighting for their lives. As the oxygen level plummets, they must escape to the lunar lander. It's a desperate act of survival for which the crew has never trained. #13MinutestotheMoon
See our film about the Lovell family: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented by Kevin Fong.
Archive: Nasa
Starring:
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 Lovell
Written by Kevin Fong and Mark Rickards
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

Mar 16, 2020 • 46min
S2 Ep.02 Death of the Odyssey
“We were in deep, deep trouble.” This is Mission Control like you’ve never heard it before. After the explosion, denial and disbelief turn to dread.
#13MinutestotheMoon
Watch our videos: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented by Kevin Fong.
Archive: Nasa
Starring:
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 Lovell
Written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service

Mar 9, 2020 • 44min
S2 Ep.01 Time bomb: Apollo 13
“Houston, we’ve had a problem.” To ignite catastrophe would take just the flick of a single switch. Why NASA’s third bid to land on the Moon was flawed from the start.#13MinutestotheMoon
For videos and more space stories: www.bbcworldservice.com/13minutes
Presented by Kevin Fong
Archive: NASA and CBS
Starring:
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-Baker
Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music
BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service
This episode was updated on 16 March 2020.

Feb 19, 2020 • 4min
Countdown to Season 2
Explore the tense moments of the Apollo 13 mission as astronauts face a life-threatening crisis in space. Witness their bravery and problem-solving skills in the cold depths of space, battling failing systems and uncertainty in a race against time.
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