Space

22 episodes listed below

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In their own words

A collection of radio documentary programmes broadcast on the BBC World Service, with one thing in common – space.

Why you'd press play

A 12-watt signal crosses billions of miles; you also get births planned around planetary alignments.

Press play if you want

  • to hear Wally Funk reckon with the moon trip she was denied
  • to picture what weather a centuries-long world ship would need to feel livable
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Best episodes of Space

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Space FlightJul 13, 2019

A thoughtful live discussion on the engineering choices that keep spacecraft working, failing well, and retiring safely.

"Space Flight" approaches the second space age as a practical engineering story with real human weight. Kevin Fong's Imperial College discussion with Adam Stelzner, David Parker, and Anuradha TK moves from the historical pull of the Apollo landing into the unglamorous details…

10, 9, 8, 7: Four Apollo missionsJul 11, 2019

A grounded, human-scaled account of the four Apollo flights that helped make Kennedy's moon goal possible.

Four Apollo flights, 7, 8, 9, and 10, carried the program through eight decisive months and made Apollo 11's moon landing feel less like a leap than the result of accumulated risk.

How Do We Rule The Universe?Jan 11, 2018

A brisk look at commercial spaceflight, orbital debris, and the laws now being tested beyond Earth.

How Do We Rule The Universe? uses a commercial rocket launch to open up a larger question: who gets to make the rules beyond Earth. The Inquiry traces the growth of company-led spaceflight, the strain it puts on international space law, and the real-world risk of orbital debris,…

Space 1977Aug 20, 2017

Twin 1970s spacecraft become a clear, human portrait of scientific ambition reaching into the dark.

Space 1977 frames the Voyager mission as both bold and surprisingly practical, grounding its scale in a clean, memorable contrast: Voyager 2 is 17,473,733,160 miles away, yet sends data on about 12 watts.

Podcasts like Space

Episodes

  1. 1

    Space Flight

    At Imperial College London for the Exhibition Road Festival, Kevin Fong frames spaceflight as a second space age, with NASA's Adam Stelzner, ISRO's Anuradha TK, and ESA's David Parker comparing Mars landings, geostationary satellites, and comet missions.

    Jul 13, 2019·50m·3 clips
  2. 2

    10, 9, 8, 7: Four Apollo missions

    BBC World Service's Space episode 10, 9, 8, 7: Four Apollo missions counts down Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 10 as the path to Apollo 11.

    Jul 11, 2019·50m·3 clips
  3. 3

    How Do We Rule The Universe?

    Hidden gem

    Kohei Fujimoto says the Outer Space Treaty means “there is no litter fine” for debris left in orbit.

    Jan 11, 2018·24m·1 clip
  4. 4

    The First Woman on the Moon

    Wally Funk says a 1960 private astronaut program led by Dr.

    Nov 20, 2017·50m·3 clips
  5. 5

    Space 1977

    Voyager 2 is 17,473,733,160 miles from Earth and still sends data with about 12 watts of power, or 20 watts at high power.

    Aug 20, 2017·49m·3 clips
  6. 6

    Caravans in Space

    At the 2016 Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop in Chattanooga, engineers and scientists design possible human colonies beyond Earth.

    Jan 14, 2017·26m·1 clip
  7. 7

    We Shall Fly - Part One

    Jan 12, 2017·26m
  8. 8

    Women with the Right Stuff

    A documentary about the Mercury 13, women who passed astronaut tests in the 1960s, featuring pilot Wally Funk.

    Jul 17, 2016·50m
  9. 9

    The Beagle 2 Mission to Mars

    Jan 6, 2016·9m
  10. 10

    Skylab Falls to Earth

    Jan 1, 2016·9m
  11. 11

    How to Survive in Space: Deep Space

    This episode explores the challenges of human survival in space and the history of lunar missions.

    Dec 31, 2015·27m
  12. 12

    How to Survive in Space: Into Orbit

    A BBC World Service documentary podcast series exploring various aspects of space, including living, working, and fighting in space, and honoring space pioneers.

    Dec 30, 2015·27m
  13. 13

    The Apollo 13 Space Emergency

    Dec 27, 2015·9m
  14. 14

    Why Does The Moon Fascinate Us So Much?

    Dec 26, 2015·18m
  15. 15

    Sounds of Space 2: Deep Space

    Dec 23, 2015·27m
  16. 16

    The First Woman in Space

    Dec 21, 2015·9m
  17. 17

    Launching the Hubble Space Telescope

    Dec 20, 2015·9m
  18. 18

    Space Medicine

    Dec 18, 2015·27m
  19. 19

    Sounds of Space 1: The Solar System

    Dec 18, 2015·27m
  20. 20

    Enceladus: Is There Life On Saturn's Moon?

    Dec 17, 2015·27m
  21. 21

    Monkeys in Space

    Dec 16, 2015·9m
  22. 22

    'I Nearly Drowned in Space'

    Dec 14, 2015·16m