Apollo astronauts freeze in darkness, struggling to save power. If the battery dies, so do the space crew. And as the damaged spacecraft loses its navigation systems, they must rely on the Sun for guidance. The astronauts' plight becomes a national crisis. Millions across the world tune in to the television coverage. Meanwhile, Nasa mission control faces a race against time to devise a plan, launching one of the greatest rescue missions in the history of space exploration.

Hosted by Kevin Fong.

Archive: Nasa Johnson Space Center Oral History Project

Starring: Gerry Griffin Jim Kelly Gene Kranz, courtesy of the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project John Aaron Jim Lovell Fred Haise Dave Reed Jerry Bostick Chuck Deiterich Merlin Merritt Bill Peters

Written by Kevin Fong and Mark Rickards

Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Produced by the BBC Radio Science Unit for the BBC World Service.