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Why are Nasa, and partners, returning to the Moon?

The countdown is on for Artemis II, Nasa’s mission to send four astronauts to loop around the Moon, after months of delays. But why are they returning to the Moon?

Nasa’s Artemis II mission looks set to launch towards the Moon on April 1st, after months of delays.
Presenters Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin are joined by space journalist Kristin Fisher and BBC News Science Editor Rebecca Morelle for the latest updates from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

And more than 50 years on from the last lunar crewed mission, why is Nasa returning to the Moon now? And what is the international context? Journalist and author Tim Marshall calls in to discuss the new space race.

Join us as we follow the Artemis II mission every day for the next two weeks.

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is a BBC Audio Science production for the BBC World Service.

13 Minutes Season 4 theme music is by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Presenters: Tim Peake and Maggie Aderin
Producers: Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston
Series editor: Martin Smith

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47 minutes

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