BBC World Service has commissioned a four-part fifth season of its space podcast, 13 Minutes. The new series, titled 13 Minutes: Trouble with Hubble, documents the development, launch, and subsequent repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. Space scientist Dame Dr Maggie Aderin hosts the season, which examines the engineering failure of the telescope's primary mirror.
The narrative covers the period from final launch preparations to the deployment of the instrument in orbit. It details a manufacturing error where the primary mirror curvature was incorrect by approximately one-fiftieth of the width of a human hair. This flaw resulted in blurred imagery and required a manned mission to perform repairs 380 miles above Earth. The series includes accounts of the cost overruns and scheduling delays that preceded the launch.
Commissioning editor Jon Manel confirmed the season utilizes oral histories from the NASA History Office and archive mission audio. The episodes feature interviews with astronauts, engineers, and scientists involved in the project. The production focuses on the technical crisis and the subsequent orbital repair mission.
The Hubble Space Telescope provided data indicating that the first galaxies formed earlier than previously estimated and identified black holes at the center of most major galaxies. This fifth season of 13 Minutes follows four previous series produced by the BBC World Service.