Apollo 13 The Real Story

Summary

The script recounts the dramatic story of Apollo 13's ill-fated lunar mission in 1970. After an explosion crippled the spacecraft, the crew and mission control faced a harrowing fight for survival, using ingenuity and resilience to return safely to Earth. The ordeal, marked by icy calm in the face of death and an absolute refusal to admit defeat, remains a testament to human spirit and the power of teamwork under extreme conditions.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The script recounts the dramatic story of Apollo 13, a mission that faced numerous challenges and ultimately did not reach the moon due to a catastrophic failure.
• 🌌 Despite being overshadowed by other events at the time, such as the Vietnam War and the Beatles breaking up, Apollo 13 became a major story that captured global attention.
• 👨‍🚀 Mission Commander Jim Lovell, along with astronauts Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, displayed exceptional composure and determination in the face of life-threatening adversity.
• 🔢 The mission faced a critical moment when an explosion occurred in one of the oxygen tanks, leading to a rapid series of events that required immediate and innovative problem-solving.
• 🛰️ The lunar module, designed to support two astronauts for a short period, was repurposed as a lifeboat to sustain the crew during their journey back to Earth.
• 🔄 The crew and mission control had to perform a series of complex maneuvers to correct the spacecraft's trajectory and ensure a safe re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
• 🛠️ An engineering challenge was overcome when creating an adapter to fit square carbon dioxide filters into round openings, a critical step in managing the life-support system.
• ⏱️ Time was of the essence as the crew and mission control worked against the clock to power down the command module, power up the lunar module, and execute a series of precise maneuvers.
• 🌡️ The astronauts endured extreme conditions, including freezing temperatures, dehydration, and limited food, highlighting the physical and mental resilience required in space travel.
• 🌍 The successful re-entry and splashdown of Apollo 13 marked a triumph of human ingenuity and teamwork, demonstrating the ability to overcome even the most daunting space travel challenges.
• 🤝 The script emphasizes the importance of trust and communication between the astronauts and mission control, as well as the collective effort that led to the safe return of the crew.

Q & A

What was the general public's reaction to the Apollo 13 mission before the launch?

The general public was largely indifferent to the Apollo 13 mission before the launch. The mission was overshadowed by other news, such as the Vietnam War and the breakup of the Beatles. Apollo 13 was not front-page news and was mentioned only briefly in newspapers.

How did Mission Commander Jim Lovell and his crew initially perceive the number 13 in their mission designation?

Jim Lovell and his crew did not initially consider the number 13 to be significant or superstitious. However, Lovell's wife Marilyn was concerned about it, fearing it might be an omen of bad luck.

What was the significance of Apollo 13's launch time?

Apollo 13's launch was scheduled for 1:13 p.m. (military time 13:13), which was seen as flaunting the idea that NASA did not care about superstitions related to the number 13.

What was the first major issue that Apollo 13 encountered shortly after launch?

Shortly after launch, one of the engines in the second stage of the rocket shut down prematurely. This required Mission Control to quickly calculate if the remaining engines could get the crew into orbit, which they successfully did.

Describe the incident that occurred when Jack Swigert stirred the liquid oxygen tanks.

When Jack Swigert stirred the liquid oxygen tanks, there was a loud bang, and the spacecraft experienced a catastrophic failure. This caused an oxygen tank to explode, resulting in the loss of most of the spacecraft's oxygen and power.

How did Mission Control and the astronauts respond immediately after the explosion?

Immediately after the explosion, there was initial disbelief and confusion in Mission Control as they tried to diagnose the problem. The astronauts, maintaining their calm, communicated the issue with Mission Control and began troubleshooting the situation.

What decision did Mission Control make regarding the trajectory of Apollo 13 after the explosion?

Mission Control decided to take the safer, albeit longer, route around the moon instead of attempting a direct abort. This decision aimed to use the lunar module as a lifeboat for the astronauts to survive the journey back to Earth.

How did the crew of Apollo 13 manage their limited resources during the journey back to Earth?

The crew had to shut down non-essential systems to conserve power, resulting in very cold conditions inside the spacecraft. They also had to rig a solution to fit square carbon dioxide filters from the Command Module into the round openings in the lunar module to prevent carbon dioxide poisoning.

What critical maneuver did the Apollo 13 crew perform to correct their course towards Earth?

The crew performed a critical burn of the lunar module's engine to adjust their trajectory towards Earth. This maneuver had to be executed manually, with one astronaut controlling the pitch and yaw and another timing the burn, due to the failure of their automated systems.

What was the final challenge faced by the Apollo 13 crew before re-entry, and how did they overcome it?

The final challenge was restarting the Command Module, which had been shut down to save power. The crew followed a complex 500-step procedure communicated by Mission Control to successfully power up the Command Module using only its limited battery power. This ensured they could safely re-enter Earth's atmosphere.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Apollo 13: A Mission of Survival and Calmness

The script opens with a dramatic recount of the Apollo 13 mission, emphasizing the crew's composure in the face of life-threatening challenges. The mission, which was overshadowed by contemporary events such as the Vietnam War and the Beatles' breakup, is highlighted for its routine nature despite being fraught with danger. The narrative introduces key figures like Mission Commander Jim Lovell, an experienced astronaut, and his fellow crew members, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, both on their maiden space voyage. The script also touches on the superstition surrounding the number 13, which did not deter NASA from proceeding with the mission, and the launch's initial hiccup with an engine malfunction that was swiftly managed by Mission Control.

05:01

🌌 The Hostile Journey to the Moon and the Struggle for Survival

This paragraph delves into the Apollo 13's journey, detailing the high-stress environment of space travel and the meticulous management of life-supporting resources. The spacecraft's structure, comprising the Command Module, Lunar Module, and Service Module, is explained. The narrative recounts the live TV broadcast intended for public relations, which was largely ignored due to other concurrent events. The paragraph culminates in the fateful moment when an explosion occurs in the Service Module, triggered by a malfunctioning oxygen tank, leaving the astronauts in a dire situation 200,000 miles from Earth, with oxygen rapidly depleting and the mission to the Moon aborted.

10:03

🔧 Crisis Management in Space: Apollo 13's Struggle for Oxygen

The script describes the immediate aftermath of the explosion on Apollo 13, focusing on the crew's and Mission Control's urgent efforts to address the critical loss of oxygen. The crisis escalated as one oxygen tank was destroyed and the other's supply dwindled. Astronaut Fred Haise's humor is noted during a tense live broadcast, which inadvertently foreshadowed the disaster. The explosion's impact is further detailed, revealing the astronauts' realization of the severity of their situation as they witness oxygen escaping into space. The response from Mission Control was initially one of disbelief, but it quickly turned to decisive action to ensure the crew's survival.

15:04

🌑 The Lunar Module as a Lifeboat: A Pivotal Decision for Survival

The narrative shifts to the critical decision-making process during the crisis, where the lunar module, initially intended for moon landing, was repurposed as a lifeboat to sustain the crew. The challenges of power management, oxygen supply, and the need to preserve resources for the return journey are highlighted. The paragraph underscores the ingenuity and quick thinking required to transfer critical data from the Command Module to the Lunar Module's computers using rudimentary methods. The difficult choice between a direct abort and a longer return trajectory around the Moon is discussed, ultimately opting for the safer but more time-consuming route.

20:06

🛰️ The Long Journey Home: Challenges and Adaptations

This section of the script details the astronauts' struggle to return to Earth, using the Lunar Module as a lifeboat designed for a shorter journey and with limited resources. The crew had to navigate around the Moon and set a course for Earth, a distance of 240,000 miles, with a tiny margin for error. The physical and psychological toll of the ordeal is described, with the astronauts enduring cold, hunger, and sleep deprivation. The ingenuity required to create an adapter for the carbon dioxide filters using materials like duct tape is highlighted, showcasing the team's resourcefulness in the face of life-threatening obstacles.

25:09

🔄 Correcting the Trajectory: A Team Effort to Avert Disaster

The script describes the critical moment when Mission Control discovered that Apollo 13 was drifting off course, risking a missed re-entry and a potential loss of the spacecraft. The crew was instructed to perform a manual burn to correct the trajectory, a task never done before, relying on visual cues and precise calculations. The trust between the astronauts and Mission Control is emphasized, as the crew executed the maneuver flawlessly. The successful re-entry and the relief in Mission Control upon re-establishing contact with Apollo 13 are poignantly captured, highlighting the collective effort that brought the astronauts home.

30:10

🛬 The Safe Return: Apollo 13's Splashdown and Aftermath

The final paragraph recounts the tense moments leading up to Apollo 13's re-entry and splashdown. The crew's successful re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and the subsequent blackout during which all communication was lost are described. The emotional relief in Mission Control upon hearing from the crew after the blackout is palpable. The astronauts' return to the Command Module, the separation of the damaged Service Module, and the jettisoning of the Lunar Module are detailed. The script concludes with the astronauts' safe return to Earth, their first interactions after splashdown, and a reflection on the historic nature of their mission, which remains the farthest humans have ventured from home and a testament to their resilience and survival against all odds.

Keywords

💡Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the seventh crewed mission in NASA's Apollo space program and the third lunar landing mission. The mission, which was intended to land on the moon, was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded en route. The term 'Apollo 13' in the script refers to the mission itself and the dramatic events that unfolded, making it a central theme of the video. It is repeatedly mentioned throughout the transcript, illustrating the mission's significance and the challenges faced by the crew.

💡Mission Control

Mission Control is the facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center from which human spaceflight missions are controlled. In the script, 'Mission Control' refers to the team of engineers and specialists who were responsible for monitoring and managing the Apollo 13 mission. The term is used to describe the coordination and decision-making that took place during the crisis, highlighting the critical role of the ground team in the astronauts' survival.

💡Oxygen tank explosion

An oxygen tank explosion refers to the catastrophic failure of one of the spacecraft's oxygen tanks, which occurred when astronaut Jack Swigert stirred the tank to ensure proper oxygen distribution. The explosion is a pivotal event in the script, as it led to the loss of the main supplies of air and power, forcing the mission to abort the lunar landing and focus on returning the crew safely to Earth.

💡Lifeboat

In the context of the script, a 'lifeboat' refers to the Lunar Module (LM), which was repurposed as a survival craft for the astronauts after the explosion. The LM, originally designed to land two astronauts on the moon for a short stay, had to support three astronauts for an extended period. The term 'lifeboat' is used to illustrate the resourcefulness and adaptability required to ensure the crew's survival.

💡Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas that, in high concentrations, can be lethal. In the script, the buildup of CO2 is mentioned as a life-threatening issue due to the limited capacity of the LM's air purifiers, which were designed for a smaller crew and shorter duration. The term 'carbon dioxide' is used to emphasize the various life-support challenges the crew had to overcome during their journey back to Earth.

💡Heat shield

A heat shield is a protective barrier that helps a spacecraft withstand the extreme temperatures experienced during re-entry into a planet's atmosphere. In the script, concern is expressed about potential damage to the Command Module's heat shield from the oxygen tank explosion, as it could have compromised the crew's survival during re-entry. The term 'heat shield' is used to highlight the critical systems that needed to function properly for a safe return.

💡Direct abort

A direct abort is a maneuver to return a spacecraft to Earth immediately after a mission failure, bypassing the intended destination, in this case, the moon. The script discusses the decision-making process around whether to perform a direct abort, which would have been quicker but riskier due to potential damage to the main engine. The term 'direct abort' is used to illustrate the difficult choices and calculations made by the flight director and the crew.

💡Re-entry

Re-entry refers to the process of a spacecraft returning and entering the Earth's atmosphere after a mission in space. In the script, the term 're-entry' is used to describe the final phase of Apollo 13's journey, during which the crew had to navigate through the atmosphere using a compromised spacecraft. It signifies the culmination of their efforts to survive and return safely to Earth.

💡Blackout

Blackout, in the context of space travel, refers to the loss of communication with a spacecraft as it enters the Earth's atmosphere due to the ionization of the air around the vehicle. In the script, 'blackout' is used to describe the period of radio silence experienced during Apollo 13's re-entry, adding to the tension and uncertainty of the crew's fate as they returned to Earth.

💡Splashdown

Splashdown is the event when a spacecraft, such as a capsule, lands in a body of water after re-entry. The term is used in the script to denote the successful conclusion of Apollo 13's perilous journey, as the crew safely touched down in the South Pacific. 'Splashdown' symbolizes the relief and joy of a mission that, against all odds, resulted in the astronauts' survival.

Highlights

Apollo 13's mission was overshadowed by the Vietnam War and the Beatles breaking up, not receiving significant media attention before launch.

Jim Lovell, the mission commander, was an experienced astronaut who had been a backup pilot for the first moon landing.

Apollo 13 aimed to bring back rock and soil samples from a challenging lunar landing site.

The crew, including first-time astronauts Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, faced the superstition surrounding the number 13 with indifference.

NASA's Mission Control in Houston was overseen by Gene Kranz, who managed a team of young engineers controlling every aspect of the spaceflight.

The astronauts were experimental test pilots accustomed to mortal danger, which contributed to their calm demeanor during the crisis.

An explosion in the service module containing the oxygen tanks occurred after a routine stir of liquid oxygen, causing a catastrophic failure.

The famous phrase 'Houston, we've had a problem' was the understated announcement of a serious malfunction.

The lunar module served as a lifeboat, providing air, water, and battery power after the explosion.

The crew had to power down the command module to save resources and rely on the lunar module's limited supplies.

A direct abort to return quickly to Earth was considered too risky due to potential further failures of the damaged main engine.

The decision was made to go around the Moon, accepting a longer return trip and increased risk of resource depletion.

An improvised CO2 filter adapter using duct tape and plastic bags was devised to prevent carbon dioxide poisoning.

The crew executed a manual burn to correct the spacecraft's trajectory, ensuring they would re-enter Earth's atmosphere correctly.

The command module was successfully restarted after being shut down and frozen, providing a ride home for the crew.

The world watched with bated breath as Apollo 13 re-entered Earth's atmosphere, the crew's survival depending on the integrity of the heat shield.

Apollo 13's successful splashdown marked an unprecedented achievement in overcoming numerous disasters to return astronauts alive from the farthest humans have ventured.

Transcripts

tonight the real people we had a pretty

large Bank associated with

the the real pictures and there one

whole of that the real story of Apollo

13 it's a story of icy calm in the face

of death the odds were very small that

we're going to get out of this alive of

absolute refusal to admit defeat Will

Never Surrender we will never give up

crew of Hope against all ODS I just knew

he'd come

back and ordeal that lasted less than 6

days but still Echoes decades later

every time a spacecraft splits the

heavens and lift

[Music]

off April 1970 America was convulsed

over the Vietnam War

airport was the big hit in theaters and

the news on April 10th that the Beatles

were breaking up far overshadowed the

moon mission scheduled the next day as a

matter of fact before we took off I

think the only mention of Apollo 13 on

the New York Times was on the weather

page about 97 pages in Mission Commander

Jim lble was one of NASA's most

experienced astronauts he'd been a

backup pilot for the first moon landing

in July of 69 that's one small step for

man Apollo 11 had transfixed the world

but then came Apollo 12 and now 13

moonshots had come to seem routine so

you weren't front page news did that

bother you at all no because this is

what I wanted to do Apollo 13 would

bring back Rock and soil samples from a

hilly region of the Moon a much trickier

Landing site than those of previous

missions lovel's fellow astronauts Jack

Swagger and Fred Hayes were both on

their first space flight just a thought

of going to the Moon was just so

incredible that uh I couldn't pass up

the chance as Hayes and the others tell

it today none of them gave a moment's

thought to the one thing about the

mission that did catch the average

person's attention a lot of people just

don't even deal with the number 13 they

don't want to talk about it did it

register with you at all it didn't I

didn't even think about the number being

superstitious that is not true with my

wife my wife Marilyn said why 13 it did

bother me yes and I said what happened

to 14 but unlike an elevator NASA didn't

skip 13 Superstition uh can't have any

place as if to drive home the point lead

flight director Jean CR recalls that

NASA scheduled Apollo 13's launch for

1:13 p.m. or in military time 1313 you

were kind of flaunting the fact that you

didn't care about Superstition I think

uh every person that was in this room uh

lived to to flaunt the odds we were

working on the Ragged edge of all

knowledge all technology and all

experience in this room this room was

cr's domain Mission Control in Houston

it had a the smell of the the cigarette

smoke I mean we all smoked very heavily

pipes cigars cigarettes coffee pot that

had been boiled over and had burned out

CR oversaw a 247 team of young Engineers

who controlled every aspect of space

flight the astronauts lives in their

hands you guys had to look around at

each other and think we we're kind of a

group of badasses in here I mean you had

to feel pretty good about yourselves

well the culture of this room was

literally miraculous it seemed that

whatever happened we were better as a

total team than the sum of the parts the

same of course could be said for the

three men riding the rocket all of them

former test pilots for whom mortal

danger was just part of the job when you

became an astronaut did you feel special

did did you feel Invincible at all I

didn't feel Invincible I mean the re

Wars involved overcame the risk that was

involved for families at home a

different equation did you ever get used

to the risk involved

Marilyn no we put it out of your mind

but I can't say that um it was easy at

times so on the day before launch you're

out at a beach house M and getting ready

to see your husband for the last time

before he heads into space and something

strange happened with your wedding ring

what happened well I was taking a shower

and I it just slipped right off my hand

and it went into the drain and I just

was terrified because to me it was like

an omen that something really was going

to happen it shook you up well it did

shake me up did you ever tell Jim about

it before the flight uh no oh no you

would never let that thought enter his

mind before he's about to jump on that

rocket no for some reason or other the

astronaut wives just never discussed

anything that would uh work their

husbands um before they went on a

flight I mean we kept everything to

ourselves several hours before launch

and you guys get in that elevator that

takes you for the ride alongside of and

then eventually to the top of the Saturn

rocket that that's a long elevator ride

up it's 337 ft uh just the crew three of

us and a couple nervous check out people

are getting us into the spacecraft

because it's basically a huge bomb that

you're you're riding up alongside 5 half

million pounds of high explosives in the

form of oxygen hydrogen and everything

else any

Jitters no it's too late for Jitters at

that time suddenly they say you know 5 4

3 2 1 zero and those engines go and

you're on your way we have Commit and we

have liftoff at

2133 well a liftoff most people think it

would be a big kick in the pants starts

off very slowly because the vehicle

weighs so much even though it has a five

engines running patter 5 building up to

7.6 million PB of trust and it is

cleared the tower that's when you have

your head close to the abort switch in

case anything really goes wrong and

something did go wrong one of the

engines in the second stage of the

rocket shut down prematurely forcing

Mission Control to make a series of

quick calculations are the remaining

engines all go do we have enough

propellant to get the crew up into orb

but within seconds Mission controllers

determined that despite the malfunction

Apollo 13 was good to go for the moon I

looked at my companions and I said you

know every flight has a crisis something

always goes wrong this happened early on

the flight and we're now free and clear

of any other things going

wrong and he was right for about 55

hours

[Music]

on April 11th 1970 2 hours and 35

minutes after liftoff Apollo 13 fired

its Rockets accelerated to 24,000 mph

and left Earth's orbit Bound for the

moon and people always say Jim they say

into the calm and the Peace of outer

space outer space is a pretty hostile

environment isn't it

well it is uh you had to be prepared for

it outside was a complete vacuum if the

ship's hole failed the crew would die in

seconds if the power failed they'd

freeze to death in hours everything they

needed to survive air water food and

fuel had to be carefully managed even

when things are going smoothly it's a

high stress environment isn't it oh

definitely I think the whole Program in

those days is sort of a high stress

environment it certainly was on the

ground in the pressure cooker that was

mission control watching and listening

to your crew die is something that will

impress that event upon your mind

forever Jean CR had been a flight

director when just 3 years earlier

Apollo 1 caught fire on the Launchpad

incinerating astronauts Gus Grom Ed

White and Roger chaffy soon after cran

helped write a document called

foundations of Mission Control I'm going

to read you a passage from it it says

quote suddenly and unexpectedly we may

find ourselves in a role where our

performance has ultimate consequences

the work in this room is final the

decisions are final the team in this

room must be prepared not only to make

those decisions but to live with the

results that occur but the first two

days of Apollo 13's Mission hardly

seemed like life or death spacecraft's

in real good shape as far as we're

concerned Jim we're bored to tears down

here the spacecraft had three parts The

cone-shaped Command Module was where all

three men would ride for most of the

trip to the moon and then back to Earth

the spidery lunar module or LM would

carry two astronauts to the lunar

surface then be left behind the last

critical piece was the service module

which contained the main engine and

oxygen tanks 13 Houston we got a groovy

TV picture 55 hours and 11 minutes into

the mission Apollo 13's crew made time

for an important duty public relations

they beamed back a live TV show to Earth

something NASA liked to do so taxpayers

could see what they were up to Fred

Hayes was the actor in this whole thing

went in the lunar module and he opened

up the bed that he was going to sleep on

sort of a hammock and he tried to show

people how he was going to sleep on this

bed of course he zero gravity so he kept

bouncing up and down it's kind of

difficult here Jack getting into a

hammock and

a lighthearted look at life in space it

doesn't work too space can't call ha up

here great show except no one was

watching it explain why that was one

network had did c a live show I think a

second Network had a rerun of luy and

the third network at least in the city

of Houston Texas the baseball game was

going on and everybody was watching that

including the people at the control

center here we had been to the Moon

twice and in some ways H hum had set in

complacency Jim's wife Marilyn and

daughters Barbara and Susan did watch

the show in a private viewing room at

Mission Control and when you found out

that not one of the networks carried

that broadcast how did it make you feel

pretty bad did that upset me yes but

they got to see something the rest of

the world didn't an example of Fred

Hayes's unusual sense of humor you

pulled something during that event that

kind of got everyone's attention and Jim

level comment on talk to me about it

there is a valve in the limb the repress

valve that when cycled does make a

fairly pronounced bang Hayes turned the

valve on live TV and the bang startled

Commander Jim

level every time he does that our heart

our heart jump in our mouth he throws it

and it gives a big bang you know and

then inside the spacecraft so every we

look and say oh that's Haze again no

harm done this is the clue of APO 13

wish everybody

there nice Eventing it was after the

broadcast Jim that that mission control

radios up and they and they asked you to

do something as the crew that was fairly

routine involving one of the liquid

oxygen tanks two tanks of super cooled

liquid oxygen were the ship's most

precious resource providing both air and

fuel to get accurate readings from the

tanks Mission controllers had to make

sure the liquid didn't settle at the

bottom what they ask you to do it's sort

of like a mush this liquid oxygen and so

there's a fan down at the bottom of

inside the tank and a little heater

system and so the question was would you

turn on the the the fan and the heater

system and stir up the oxygen and to

accomplish that inside the spacecraft

what did you have to do actually just

flip a switch barely flipped the switch

they were about 200,000 mi from Earth

when Jack Swagger flipped the switch the

date by the way was April 13th you would

like it to uh stir up your cryo

tanks seconds later the men of Apollo 13

were fighting for their

[Music]

lives at precisely 55 hours 53 minutes

and 18 seconds into the flight of Apollo

13 astronaut Jack Swagger followed

Mission control's instruction to flip

the switch that stirred the liquid

oxygen tanks everything seemed normal

and

then it just had a big bang at one time

and so we all looked around what

happened what's that I looked up at Fred

Hayes to see if he knew what was going

on remember Hayes liked to play tricks

with a pressure valve immediately Jim

level looks over to see has Fred Hayes

pulled another fast one on me I'm sure

he saw it in my eyes and he saw I wasn't

smiling and I could tell from his exper

impression he had no idea so this wasn't

one of his practical jokes with the

pressure he had no idea Haze was in the

tunnel between the Command Module and

the lunar module I heard the loud bang

and uh metallic sounds because the way

the uh the vehicle contorted it actually

Twisted enough in the tunnel area that

it crinkle a metal it could hear that

metal crinkling did your heart jump up

into your throat I mean that's that's

that's not a sound you want to hear

200,000 mi from home a absolutely and I

knew it right away was not not a normal

circumstance Jack swager radioed Mission

Control problem say again please 15

seconds later Lovel repeated the

message I listen to that radio

transmission that is probably as famous

as the flight itself those five words

Houston we've had a problem and I listen

to the calm in your voice were you as

calm as you s

I kind of think so I mean I was faced

with a problem and so if I did nothing

but you know you know bounce off the

walls for 10 minutes I'd be right back

to where that problem was things were

not so calm in mission control as soon

as we received this call it seemed our

data just went wild it was screwy and

for about 60 seconds it was literally

chaos in this room in those 60 seconds

it seemed that every controller at every

console saw a problem with Apollo 13 He

flight we've had a computer restart now

controller says main bus underfall third

one says antenna switch it did not seem

possible for so many things to go wrong

at the same

time they thought it had to be A Fault

In Their Communications or their

monitoring systems not the spacecraft

itself we may have had an

instrumentation problem plan I

immediately thought okay it's a minor

electrical problem we'll work this when

the shifts over the astronauts knew it

was much worse than that they thought

they'd been hit by a meteor Fred Hayes

called Mission Control 50 seconds into

the crisis we had a pretty large bang

associated with the warning now in the

first few

minutes there was a absolute disbelief

the controllers had never come face to

face with a real problem that we didn't

have any immediate an for crucial

minutes ticked by Jim level stared at

his instrument paddle one oxygen tank

gauge the quantity gauge read zero and

the other one I could see the Needle

start to go down ever so slightly and

that's when I drifted over and looked

out the side window and I saw escaping

at a high rate of speed a gaseous

substance from the rear end of my

spacecraft the crisis was now in minute

14 i l looking out the hat that we are

bending something we are we are vending

something out into the uh space Roger we

copy your vending Jim this isn't like

getting a blowout of your tire on a

highway you are 200,000 miles into outer

space drifting further and further away

from Earth what's your emotion at that

moment well I'll tell you the very first

thing that I thought of why didn't this

happen on Apollo 12 or Why didn't it

wait for Apollo 14 got

okay can you tell us anything about the

vending uh where it's coming from coming

out of window one right now do the

astrona seem abnormally calm cran says

there's a reason this is why we flew

experimental test pilots in the

spacecraft their demeanor was such when

you listen to these reports and get the

reporting that's coming in they're just

reporting a uh situation on board the

spacecraft but everyone who heard

level's report instantly knew what it

meant we had an explosion with an

enormous amount of corollary damage in

fact they came to learn Apollo 13 had

suffered a catastrophic failure there

was faulty wiring inside liquid oxygen

tank 2 when Jack Swagger stirred the

tank a spark started a fire fueled by

pure oxygen the tank blew up taking out

the ship's main supplies of air and

power and I realized the gas escaping

and the needle on my second and last

best tank the quantity gauge was one of

the same and surely we'd be completely

out of oxygen completely out of oxygen

speeding away from Earth at 2,000 mph I

think every controller at that time

recognized we're not going to the moon

but also it's going to be tough damn

tough to get the crew of Apollo 13 home

the odds were very small at that time

among ourselves that we're going to get

out of this

alive

[Music]

the night of April 13th Marilyn Lille

and her daughters returned home from

Mission Control where just minutes

earlier they'd watched Jim and his crew

on TV from outer space friends dropped

in astronaut Pete Conrad and his wife

and the phone rang it was another friend

who worked for NASA and he said Marilyn

I just want you to know that uh all

these different countries have offered

to help you know in the recovery and

whatever I couldn't understand what he

was talking about and I said Jerry I

said have you been drinking she no

sooner hung up than another phone a

direct line to NASA started ringing and

immediately Pete came out and I can

still see him standing across the room

from me with eyes as large as saucers

and he said bar we have to talk he

filled her in they turned on the TV

Apollo 13 once the Forgotten Moonlight

suddenly the biggest story on Earth

Apollo 13 it's sources badly damaged its

Mission To The Moon ended its astronauts

under a strain more severe than any

others have yet endured the ship was

crippled leaking oxygen the mission to

the Moon Over the three astronauts one

of them her husband were probably doomed

I just couldn't believe what I was

hearing and at that moment the house was

just filling with people people didn't

know what to say to me best friends they

couldn't say anything and says Jim

loville he and Mission Control were not

sure what to say to each other either

well from an emotional point of view

Matt first of all they didn't want to

say to us you have a real problem here

and we didn't want to say to them I

think we got a real problem I mean we

knew that but is that just the bravado

of a test pilot and Astronaut no it's I

I think it's the case hey we're beyond

that now we have a we have a problem how

do we get out of this problem what what

do we do we don't know yet just what the

steps are to do that but jean CR knew

they all had to start making some

decisions and fast I was a fighter pilot

fighter pilots my time used the words

looking into the eye of a tiger and this

was the feeling I had when I recognized

we were in survival mode and we had to

kick in and get going as a team to help

this crew out the first problem oxygen

The Command Module was going to run out

in a matter of minutes they had to

figure out a way to save level Hayes and

swager fast the only option was one they

played out in simulations but never

expected to

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do now they start looking at the lunar

module did you ever think you'd have to

use that module as a Lifeboat never

thought I'd have to use it as a Lifeboat

the lunar module the spidery looking

craft they planned to land on the moon

and then leave behind it had its own

supply of air water and battery power

the Luna module was so fragile you could

punch a hole through the skin in it but

we had live off of it because it had

oxygen what the lunar module could not

do was re-enter the Earth's atmosphere

it could not get them home so even

though the Command Module was crippled

they had to save whatever Air and Power

it had left the only thing in the

Command Module was a little battery and

a little oxygen tank for the final

plunge through the Earth's atmosphere

Jack schwier was the Command Module

pilot I said Jack you power down this

Command Module save what you can we're

going into the lunar module power power

it up and so basically you're you're

you're buying time you're you're

stalling for time in that lunar module

so you can get back to that Command

Module for that precise moment you need

it to get back into the Earth's

atmosphere that's right the Command

Module was the only thing that had a

heat shield 1 hour now into the crisis

It Was a Race power down the Command

Module before its batteries ran out

power up the lunar module before oxygen

ran out they'd all trained for years but

never for this and I knew the Command

Module had only so much life left and we

we very quickly had to get to a point in

the startup of the lunar module before

the Command Module completely died the

command module's computers contain

critical data the crew had to transfer

to the lm's computers fast and they had

to do it the oldfashioned way so when

people look at their Blackberry today or

their iPhone they're holding something

in their hand that has far more

Computing capability ities than the

spacecraft you were flying in outer

space with oh yes Jack swager called me

all the numbers and I wrote them down

and then we had a a conversion table for

the lunar module and I did the

arithmetic to get the new numbers and

then I called michig control I said

would you check my my arithmetic for me

please to make sure I'm not making

you're afraid to make a mistake here a

mistake will cost you your life that's

right I'm using all the assets I have

and that included the control center

they got into the lunar module with

moments to spare but now another

decision loomed how to get back to Earth

I had a very fundamental decision I had

to make uh we could execute what we call

a direct abort and come around the front

side of the moon and be home in a day

and a half it was the quickest way home

but it would mean using the main engine

the one nearest the explosion what if

that engine failed or blew up as well if

this maneuver isn't executed

perfectly you're going to impact the

moon if the spacecraft would actually go

right into the surface of the Moon Yeah

Yeah CR didn't want to take the risk the

other option I'd have to go completely

around the Moon take between four and 5

days to get back home the problem with

that was obvious to the astronauts

themselves when we started going the

Luna module I realized it was designed

for two guys for two days and I counted

the crew one two three guys for four

days simple arithmetic that meant they

could run out of air power and water

long before reaching Earth in the end it

was the flight director's decision and

it was purely in a gut feeling that says

go around the Moon take your chances

trust your team to find the answers in

other words take the long way home and

risk losing their crew in

space here in Mission Control we're now

looking towards an alternate Mission 5

and 1/2 hours after an explosion

crippled their spaceship the crew of

Apollo 13 was riding in a Lifeboat three

men in a lunar module meant for two the

LM was designed to carry them just 60 mi

from lunar orbit to the surface now they

had to use the lm's rocket in a way its

designers never intended to steer them

around the moon and set their course for

Earth A4 Million Miles Away did you ever

have any doubts about whether you could

accomplish it well naturally I think

everybody does uh in a situation like

this they had a tiny margin for error

and no second chances it's not just

dying Jim it's the kind of death it it's

and I've thought about this it's running

out of oxygen and drifting in space

perhaps forever how did you deal with

those thoughts oh we didn't think about

what the final results would be if we

weren't successful what would finally

get to us running out of uh all kinds of

electrical

getting onto an orbit that we couldn't

correct and be in a orbit around the

Earth for hundreds of years you left one

out you could come in too steep into the

Earth's atmosphere and burn up I would

have rather have done that we now show a

velocity of 3200 10 ft per

second did you allow yourselves to have

those emotional discussions did anybody

start talking about family and what if

what if we don't make it

back to ourselves we thought about

family not to each other you didn't

bring that up we no uh we did not bring

that up uh and we we did not because we

did not want to get emotionally uh

Disturbed or challenged from the job

that we had to

do but for the families there was no

other job you wanted life to go on as

normal but in your heart it couldn't

have been anything close to normal no

friends of mine told me that I was in a

days

really the house was packed and I just

had to be by myself and I I just left

everyone and I got into the bathroom and

I kneeled on the tile floor and prayed

it was much worse for the level kids at

school and everybody came up to me and

said I'm so sorry your dad's going to

Die April 14th 21 hours after the

explosion the crippled ship rounded did

The Far Side of the Moon in the midst of

this incredibly tense and stressful

flight where in in many ways this crew

was fighting for their lives you got to

see something you'd never seen before

what was that experience

like uh well it it was obviously uh to

me great to have the opportunity to even

just loop around the Moon Jack uh and I

did a lot of sightseing as we went

around the backside loville who had

already circled the moon in Apollo 8 got

a little impatient with all the photos

his Shipmates were taking and I told him

if they you know if we don't get back

you're not going to get them developed

you are basically running a barebones

operation at that time you are shutting

down everything you can because

everything aboard that module drains

power and you need all the power you can

you can save exactly right and we had a

turn off all the electrical systems and

that's when the temperature kept

dropping

we'd like you to uh go down that power

down procedure we knew it was going to

get as cold as a meat locker inside that

spacecraft so in other words you're

saying look guys you're going to be cold

and thirsty and hungry for 4 days but

you're going to go through that because

if we do anything else that you're not

getting home that's

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correct so how cold did you get it was

about the temperature of your

refrigerator it got pretty Mis but we

had uh got out of storage all our spare

underwear so we had three sets of

underwear on what about food how much

food did you have we didn't eat much

food uh we and the water was freezing

and the food was getting Frozen

too too cold to eat too cold to sleep I

found out that I could be in front of

the instrument panel put my fingers

together close my eyes and for about 3

minutes be asleep wake up refreshed and

so that's essentially the actually the

sleep that we got on the way home April

15th 30 hours after the explosion

something else threatened to kill them

something they couldn't even see in

layman's terms your own

exhalation the fact that the three of

you breathing out were creating so much

carbon dioxide that it was going to kill

you that's that's absolutely correct

remember the lunar module was only

designed to support two men for 2 days

it's air purifiers were maxed out the

dead Command Module was still attached

they could get more filters there but

they were the wrong shape square and

wouldn't fit the round openings in the

limb and of course it's a big

engineering goof that we didn't have the

same canister for both sides we got to

come up with the solution here Engineers

had to design an adapter literally make

a square peg fit in a round hole they

had to do it quickly and they could only

use what was on the spacecraft part of a

flight manual plastic bags duct tape

they did a mockup of it down on the

ground in Houston and then they told you

basically how to do it and you must have

thought they were crazy yeah they said

now take three feet of duct tape and and

we said what 3 ft they said yeah an arms

length of duct

[Music]

tape the Strang looking Contraption

worked it saved their lives and for two

more days cold hungry Sleepless the

three astronauts hunker down and wield

their way home at some point Mission

Control instructed you to stop sending

your urine out of the spacecraft and

some people might think that's the

ultimate indignity these guys are in a

tough enough straight as it is what was

the reason for that well what they said

was we don't want any unbalanced force

on the vehicles because we want to get

you back in that free return course for

a safe approach through the atmosphere

and the landing on the earth so when you

expel urine it would change the course a

little bit it's like a little rocket

engine so now you've got bags of urine

floating around in in the spacecraft as

well yeah TR try to figure out where to

put that they all but stopped drinking

water dehydration set in Fred Hayes soon

developed an infection and fever that

was all bad but now even as Earth loomed

in the window there was yet another

crisis they call up and said we've

extrapolated your course all the way

back to the Earth and you're going to

miss the atmosphere you were drifting

Yeah by 60 or 80 nautical miles which

meant although they didn't say it is

that hey you're

[Music]

gone nearly 4 days after the crippling

explosion as Apollo 13 Against All Odds

seemed about to make it home Mission

Control discovered something potentially

devastating the spacecraft was drifting

off the trajectory was drifting off and

we didn't understand what was happening

Apollo 13 was going to come in too

shallow bounce off the Earth's

atmosphere and be lost forever we have

to perform another emergency

maneuver the engineers calculated the

precise Direction and amount of Rocket

thrust needed to correct the course then

the crew had to make it happen firing

the Rockets manually steering by by

sighting the Earth and Moon Through the

Windows nobody had ever done that before

this was a team effort right I mean

you're you're handling one aspect trying

to keep the Earth from moving up and

down and Fred Hayes was going you know

to keep it from going sideways and

course he's sick at this time and Jack

is timing it uh because our clock had

stopped of

course were you worried at all Jean that

after all they had been through over

those 3 or 4 days the the cold the Sleep

day deprivation the tension and the

stress that they may just make a simple

mistake that they simply weren't up to

the task of getting home no no this is

the kind of relationship that we must

have with our crew the crew totally

depends upon us to come up the right

answers we depend upon them to provide

the information to execute so so this

Rel relationship is absolute absolute

trust is really the key go for the burn

bur 40% and the crew made the tricky

maneuver like they done it a thousand

times I say that was a good burn Friday

April 17th just hours from Earth now the

astronauts needed to get back into the

Command Module it had been shut down

Frozen for days Engineers on the ground

were working feverishly on a way to

start it up again okay systems

test we went through four different

versions of this checklist we have a

procedure for getting power from the

lamb not a very long procedure and I got

a little testing and I said look at give

us the proper information no more no

less it was a critical time normally The

Command Module was powered up before

launch when electricity was unlimited

never had a Command Module been shut

down in flight then restarted with just

battery power if the batteries died so

would the crew and you talk about this

procedure over 500 steps and they had to

then radio those steps and they had to

be written down one after the other we

had no blank paper so we had to rip

covers and backs off of

checklist and use that uh to write this

checklist which was very lengthy now

checklist in hand three cold hungry

Sleepless men had to execute it

perfectly okay uh you're go to start

Ping up the Command Module right now the

Command Module did come fully up uh you

know fully fully powered up S relief

there I mean that's your that's your

ride home it it was a ride home ready or

not back in the Command Module now less

than 5 hours from Earth the crew

jettisoned the part of the spacecraft

that exploded and nearly killed the mall

copy that service module separation at

138 hours 2 minutes 8

[Music]

seconds for the very first time they

could see just how bad the damage was as

it floated away finally just in front of

us we saw that the entire panel had been

blown

out and there's one whole side of that

stre right by the high gate antenna the

whole panel is blown out almost from the

uh base to the engine and that had to

set off some fears in this room that

that explosion also damaged the heat

shield on the Command Module cuz they

sit right next to each other and would

they be able to survive re-entry in our

line of business you only worry about

those things that you can do something

about so all the things you had done for

the 4 days prior all the heroic efforts

of everyone would have been for not had

there been a major flaw in that heat

shield it just wouldn't have matter

that's right there's nothing we could do

about it never could go outside to

repair it or anything like that so we

just we just took it for granted that

the heat shield was going to be intact

next they jettison the limb their

Lifeboat which they nicknamed Aquarius

fwell Aquarius thank you it was time

Marilyn you you seem like a a tough gal

um however there had to be times when

you went over in your mind how you would

tell the kids if it didn't turn out well

actually I really don't believe I really

thought about it because I really didn't

give up I just knew he would come

back it had been in the moon mission

people ignored and now the whole world

was watching couldn't breathe and we all

just sat there and we just held our

breath and we held it with the

world Apollo 13 plunged into the Earth's

atmosphere on Friday April 17th after

nearly 6 days in space during re-entry

the 5,000 de Fireball surrounding the

ship blacked out all radio Transmissions

the crew is now on their own there are

no more give backs the black out was

expected to last 4 minutes standing by

for any reports of acquisition and

there's no

response and we call again it's now one

minute since we should have heard from

this crew Apollo 13 should be uh out of

blackout at this time every controller

in this room is standing staring at

those clocks in the

wall 1 minute and 27 seconds after we

should have heard from the crew we get R

Hope Houston standing by

over okay we read you Jack and the

emotional release in this room is so

intense that literally every controller

is standing

crying Apollo 13 is practically on the

time when that spacecraft splashed down

and water came over the over the

windows I said hey we're

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home

were there handshakes in the capsule

were there tears what was going on in

there it was just quiet that we we we

shook each other's hand and we said hey

we made it again capsule was still cold

even after entry um Smoky air crossed

the air poured out of the hatch when the

the diver opened the hatch and the crew

that had been living in a meat

locker is finally out in the warm air of

the South Pacific and they are home and

they are alive what was the first thing

you said to Marilyn when you got back to

Earth I said you can't live without

me you can't get rid of me that easy

that's

right but here are the facts of Apollo

13 to this day 40 years later no human

beings have ever ventured farther from

home and to this day no astronauts have

overcome so many disasters large and

small to make it back

[Music]

alive