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Grab your space suit, climb on board and get ready for take-off, as ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 Extra blasts off for an adventure into space!

With a three hour flight time - from launch, to spacewalk, touchdown on the Moon and Mars, before crashing back to earth.

Samira Ahmed (Radio and TV presenter, childhood space obsessive) is our captain, navigating the course through a rich mix of space themed radio dramas, readings and comedies.

Along the way, we explore the cultural influence of the space race, examine the highs and lows of life as an astronaut, and see just why the limitless possibilities of radio makes it the perfect medium to capture the vastness of space.

Samira opens her communication channels to sci-fi writer Simon Guerrier – and producer Dirk Maggs, who reveals why Space makes for such good radio.

Samira also takes some giant leaps of her own in an astronaut’s space suit.

Our flight plan includes:

* The opening episode of Charles Chilton's ground breaking 'Journey In To Space’

* Alexey Leonov’s first ever space walk in 'Two Sides Of The Moon'

* Astronaut Kathryn Thornton on the solitude of space in the documentary 'Alone'

* A reimagining of man landing the moon in 'One Small Step'.

* Helen Keen looks at our obsession with travelling to Mars in 'It Is Rocket Science',

* Stephen Baxter heads to Mars in Dirk Maggs produced 'Voyage'

* Chris Hadfield’s nail-biting return from his biography 'An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth'.

Along the way - extra insight with selected moments from 'Soul Music', 'Just A Minute', Nick Mohammed's 'Apollo 21', 'Saturday Live' and 'A Night With Helen Sharman'.

So assume your launch position, this mission is set to take off in 5...4...3...2...1......

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