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Fifty years ago, Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert forgot to do his taxes.
(Oops)
With this momentous anniversary, people around the world celebrate the mission that has been famous been remembered as a “successful failure”. But, recalling the quick thinking of NASA Mission Control and the astronauts who ensured that the Apollo 13 crew members returned home safely, we also recall one of the least grim moments of the mission: the time when that astronaut Jack Swigert realized that he had not ‘filed his taxes in time for the cut of April 15, 1970.
In fairness, Swigert was not supposed to be on Apollo 13; he was in the backup crew. But original crew member Ken Mattingly was exposed to German measles near launch, so NASA decided to swap the two to make sure the crew doesn’t get infected. (Mattingly never ended up getting sick and flew over Apollo 16.)
Apollo 13 Chronology: The hectic days of NASA’s ‘successful failure’ to the moon
And because Swigert had to struggle to prepare after the exchange, he (evidently) did not file his taxes before leaving.
Approximately 24 hours and 18 minutes on mission (and you can read NASA’s hilarious official transcript) here), which was long before the disastrous explosion of the oxygen tank, Swigert asked Mission Control:
“Uh oh, have you completed your income tax?”
Commander Jim Lovell, laughing, followed with, “How do I request an extension?”
Mission Control laughed. Swigert replied, “It’s not too much fun; things happened very quickly there, and I need an extension.” And, again, he met a shrill laugh.
Swigert tried again to explain his position: “I couldn’t file mine. And this is serious; would you?” But Mission Control was still reeling, “You’re breaking the room down here.”
The teasing continued a little longer (and became more creative). The crew, at this point, were still planning to land on the moon, so jokingly, suggesting that Swigert’s misstep could interfere with the mission, someone stepped in to ask, “Is it true that Jack’s tax return was going to be used to buy the fuel for the [lunar module]? ”
Despite the ribs, Mission Control assured Swigert that they would help him file his taxes on time. Although Swigert was not in a different country, he was still considered a U.S. citizen abroad, which qualified him for an extension to file his taxes late but without fines.
Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and in Facebook.
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