The BBC’s space podcast, 13 Minutes, will be running a special season discussing NASA’s Artemis II mission – the first mission since 1972 to send humans around the Moon.
Exact dates for the 10 day mission are currently unknown, however the next potential launch window falls in early March.
Presented by Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, astronaut Tim Peake and US space journalist Kristin Fisher, 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II will release its first episode around two days before the launch and then continue with daily episodes chronicling the mission and its developments.
BBC News Science Editor Rebecca Morelle and Science Correspondent Pallab Ghosh, will also contribute.
UK audiences can listen via BBC Sounds and other BBC podcast distributors while international audience can listen on bbc.com.
The BBC World Service will broadcast the series during the Outside Source radio programme every weekday at 5.30pm GMT and at the weekend during The Newsroom programme on Saturday at 6.30pm and Sunday at 7.30pm GMT.
The series is made by the BBC’s Audio Science team which also are working on a further two seasons.
Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock said: “The Artemis II mission is a defining moment in space exploration, and 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is about bringing people with us on that journey.
“To be able to tell that story as it unfolds, in real time, is incredibly exciting. I’m thrilled to be co-presenting this special season of 13 Minutes alongside Tim and Kristin.
Jon Manel, Commissioning Editor at BBC World Service, added “13 Minutes is all about epic space stories, so it’s a no brainer that it has to tell the story of the Artemis II mission.
“As with its previous seasons about historic missions, it will be carefully explaining the ‘hows, whys and whats’ but with Artemis II, it will be as the story unfolds in real time.
“The BBC’s space podcast is once again in great hands, this time with the expertise of Dame Dr Maggie, Tim and Kristin, combined with that of the BBC News science team.”
Tim Peake and Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock will also appear in Artemis: Horizon Special for BBC Two and iPlayer. Filmed over three years with unparalleled access inside NASA, the documentary follows the Artemis II crew.