The award winning BBC World Service podcast, 13 Minutes to the Moon, has come back with season two. Marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, this season recounts the near disaster of the third lunar landing attempt. The third lunar landing almost ended in a tragedy due to an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks, which forced the crew to abort the mission two days after the launch.

The first episode of the series was released on March 11. There are 6 episodes in total, and each episode is around 45 minutes long. This season was co-written by Kevin Fong and Andrew Luck-Baker and features the Apollo 13 mission crew along with key figures from NASA mission control. Music was composed by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg.

One of the first things that struck me about this podcast was how well they were able to incorporate interviews, music, narratives and background noises to bring the story to life. With just audios, this podcast creates an immersive experience for the listeners, delving into the details of this landmark event.

This podcast is done in a very dramatic manner, and the story itself is full of suspense, often times leaving the listeners feeling excited, surprised and nervous. It is also an enjoyable way of learning more about the space program as it includes in-depth descriptions and historical information.

After listening to the podcast, I have so much newfound respect for all the crew members and contributors of the mission. The incredible amount of courage, fast judgement and strategic thinking exemplified by the astronauts and the NASA mission control is truly respectable. I found myself looking forward to more episodes to come.

I would definitely recommend this podcast to anyone who is interested in the idea of space exploration. If you have never listened to podcasts before, now is a good time to try something new. This podcast will surely bring you on an unforgettable trip into space.