The Space Shuttle: 5. Space truck

President Reagan declares the shuttle open for business. Then a satellite goes missing

An episode of the 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II podcast, hosted by BBC World Service, titled "The Space Shuttle: 5. Space truck" was published on August 11, 2025 and runs 43 minutes.

August 11, 2025 ·43m · 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

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Summary

President Ronald Reagan declares the space shuttle open for business. It’s Independence Day 1982. And we’re in the sweltering Mojave desert of California. Carrying commercial satellites into orbit is one of the shuttle’s jobs. But things start to go wrong for the astronauts when a $75-million satellite is lost in space. And that’s just the start of a series of unfortunate events. Can they fix it and prove the space shuttle’s worth?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 declares Space Shuttle open for business, Reagan Library, 1982 The story of satellite WESTAR 6 and Palapa, CBS News, 1986 STS 41-B coverage, CBS News and KTRH News, 1984 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office

Episode Description

President Ronald Reagan declares the space shuttle open for business. It’s Independence Day 1982. And we’re in the sweltering Mojave desert of California.

Carrying commercial satellites into orbit is one of the shuttle’s jobs. But things start to go wrong for the astronauts when a $75-million satellite is lost in space.

And that’s just the start of a series of unfortunate events. Can they fix it and prove the space shuttle’s worth?

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 declares Space Shuttle open for business, Reagan Library, 1982 The story of satellite WESTAR 6 and Palapa, CBS News, 1986 STS 41-B coverage, CBS News and KTRH News, 1984 Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office