In short
BBC “13 Minutes Presents” special series previewing NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts on a 10-day loop around the Moon, marking a return to lunar exploration after Apollo ended in 1972.
Guest backgrounds
Maggie Adairin-Pocock, a space scientist specializing in space telescopes; Tim Peake, former ISS astronaut (186 days, a spacewalk, a marathon, 250+ experiments); Christine Fisher, former CNN space correspondent whose parents were space shuttle astronauts; plus BBC News Science Team 2.
Key claims
Artemis II could begin a new age of human spaceflight and expand the number of people who’ve been to space beyond fewer than 700 so far.
Notable examples
Apollo 17’s “Godspeed the crew,” Apollo 13, and the space shuttle era.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOOverview of NASA's Artemis II Mission
1:28 to 2:12
Understand the details of the Artemis II mission and its objectives.
“Here's space scientist Maggie Adairin-Pocock with more.”
Meet the Team Behind Artemis II
2:12 to 3:47
Learn about the people and teams preparing for the Artemis II mission.
“I'm a space scientist specialising in space telescopes and have been obsessed with space since a young age.”
Insights from Astronaut Tim Peake
3:47 to 4:38
Hear from astronaut Tim Peake about the challenges and excitement of space missions.
“The controllers that will look out for them on space.”
The New Era of Space Exploration
4:38 to 5:14
Explore the significance of Artemis II in the context of future exploration.
“That number could increase remarkably in the coming years, and Artemis 2 could well represent the beginning of that new age.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
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1:02Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in-store or online for easy drive-up-and-go, pickup or delivery. Restrictions apply. See website for full terms and conditions. In April, we'll be covering the Artemis II mission. NASA are sending four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon. From Monday the 30th of March, the BBC's space podcast 13 Minutes Presents will be the place to go for all the latest news and updates. Here's space scientist Maggie Adairin-Pocock with more. And as we leave the moon in Taurus Littrell, we leave as we came, and God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.
1:52Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17. It's more than half a century since anyone went to the moon. The Apollo missions came to an end in 1972. But now, humans are set to return.
2:11NASA's Artemis II mission will send four astronauts to loop around the moon.
2:20hopefully they'll go further from Earth than any human in history and if humans are returning to missions around the moon well the BBC space podcast 13 Minutes has to return to 13 Minutes is coming back with 13 Minutes presents Artemis 2 Three, two, one, zero. We have committed. We have committed. We have committed. I'm Maggie Adarin-Pocock. I'm a space scientist specialising in space telescopes and have been obsessed with space since a young age. and if you haven't yet discovered 13 minutes previous seasons have told the story of the first moon landing the near disaster of Apollo 13 and the space shuttle story and now I'm going to be bringing you a space story in real time as it happens every day for around two weeks we'll have the latest news and we'll get to understand the details of the mission and we'll hear from the people who are making it happen.
3:35We have thousands of people that have brought us to this moment. The thousands of people that have been working near 24-7 preparing us for this rollout. The thousands of people across the country that trained and prepared this crew to undertake this mission. The controllers that will look out for them on space. The recovery crews that will bring them safely home to their family at the conclusion of their 10-day journey.
4:04With me in the pod for this special series of 13 minutes, we have an astronaut, Tim Peake. Tim spent 186 days on the International Space Station. During butch time, he conducted a spacewalk, ran a marathon and performed over 250 experiments. Having lived and worked in space, I know just how extraordinary these missions are, not only for the astronauts, but for everyone on the ground who makes them possible. Until now, fewer than 700 people have had the privilege of going into space. That number could increase remarkably in the coming years, and Artemis 2 could well represent the beginning of that new age.
4:46Alongside us will be Christine Fisher, former space correspondent at CNN. And hopefully, Christine won't mind me mentioning that both her parents were space shuttle astronauts. Yeah, Maggie, I grew up surrounded by astronauts and spaceflight, but Artemis II does feel different. This is the beginning of a whole new era of exploration. We rise together back to the moon and beyond. As well as Tim and Kristen, we'll have the expertise of the BBC News Science Team 2. Search for 13 Minutes Presents Artemis II, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
5:33Follow or subscribe so you date this episode.
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From the publisher
Humans are returning to the Moon - hear all about it on the BBC’s space podcast. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is following Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon, with a new episode every day. Starts on Monday 30 March 2026. Search for 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode. Nasa plans to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. Its Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts to loop around the Moon. They are planning to go further from Earth than any human in history. The story of Artemis II will be told by space scientist, Maggie Aderin and British astronaut, Tim Peake, with regular guest, US space journalist Kristin Fisher. 13 Minutes is the BBC’s space podcast, telling epic space stories, including the first Moon landing, Apollo 13 and the space shuttle. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.
