Fifty years ago, On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Like Apollo 11 and Apollo 12, the mission objective was to land on the Moon. However, astronauts Jim Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise would face an almost fatal problem with their capsule. Just two days after the mission, the crew began routine shaking of one of the oxygen tanks. Then an explosion occurred, causing a disruption to life support systems. As a result, the entire crew of three people had to move to the Lunar Module, which was only designed to support the two astronauts who were supposed to land on the Moon. Then NASA quickly improvised a system that would support the three crew members for four days, the time it would take to go around the Moon and back to Earth.
It was this incident that sparked the now famous line, “Houston, we have a problem.” Fortunately, thanks to the ingenuity of NASA and the unflappability of the crew, the three managed to safely return to Earth on April 17, 1970. This week, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13, we will travel alongside the crew and We will see the mission from their perspective.
Before astronauts leave Earth, they practice their Extra Vehicle Activity or EVA and rock gathering activities in locations across the country. Here, astronaut Fred Haise, the Apollo 13 lunar pilot, is using an Apollo lunar surface drill.Photograph: NASA
As Apollo 13 flew behind the Moon, they captured this photo of the Tsiolkovsky crater. Other smaller impact craters are also seen, revealing the complex surface texture of our rocky satellite.Photograph: NASA
This view was taken from inside the capsule when the crew circled the Moon. Although beautiful, images like this are tinged with sadness, since both Jim Lovel and Rusty Siwgart looked towards a surface that they would never visit.Photograph: NASA
Before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the crew dropped the capsule and used the lunar module as a lifeboat. They then took a photo of the blast site and the subsequent damage to the cells. If you look to the right where the components are exposed, you can see the area that was damaged.Photograph: NASA
The crew took this spectacular image of Earth while returning from the Moon. You can still see the southern United States, Baja, and part of Mexico.Photograph: NASA
After two intense days of what we could call extreme solutions, the three Apollo 13 crew members safely landed on Earth. This is their capsule and parachute that land in the South Pacific.Photograph: NASA
