"Houston, we've had a problem."
When Apollo 13 launched on April 11th, 1970 it was intended to be the third Apollo mission to land on the Moon. Unfortunately, an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks seriously damaged the spacecraft during flight and the crew were forced to fly by the Moon, using its gravity to send the spacecraft back to Earth without carrying out a lunar landing.
All three astronauts were forced to pile into the lunar module (LM), which had enough oxygen to support the astronauts, but had been designed for only two. The carbon dioxide produced by all three astronauts exceeded the capacity of the onboard lithium hydroxide filters. Using a plastic bag, cardstock, a spacesuit hose, and duct tape, the engineers in Mission Control mocked up an altered lithium hydroxide filter, which the astronauts in turn recreated on the lunar module.
In order to support all three astronauts in the lunar module, the Apollo 13 crew had to find a way to use the command module LiOH filters in place of the filters already installed in the lunar module. The Mission Control team worked out a solution that cobbled together different tools and parts already available aboard the spacecraft, then carefully radioed instructions to the astronauts in space. After about an hour, the new device, although not very elegant, worked perfectly.
In March 1975, the Museum requested that the personnel who had been involved in the emergency effort recreate one of the LiOH canisters for display.
After a harrowing six days in space, all three astronauts returned to Earth safely, making Apollo 13 a "successful failure."
Meet the Astronauts
- James A. Lovell, Jr., Commander: By the time of Apollo 13, Lovell had already spent extensive time in space, serving aboard the Gemini VII and XII missions, and Apollo 8.
- John L. Swigert, Jr., Command Module Pilot: Apollo 13 was Swigert's first and only mission in space, having replaced Ken Mattingly who was exposed to the German measles at the time of the mission.
- Fred W. Haise, Jr., Lunar Module Pilot: Like Swigert, Apollo 13 was Haise's first mission. He also commanded landing tests of the Shuttle Enterprise in 1977.
Making a Successful Failure
Many people came together to come up with a solution to ensure the safe return of the Apollo 13 astronauts. While the mission to land on the Moon was ultimately aborted, Lovell, Swigert, and Haise's return to Earth was considered a success. Learn more about how the Apollo 13 mission became a successful failure below.
Hear from the Astronauts Themselves
Join Captain Jim Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13 and National Air and Space Museum curator Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony for a discussion about Apollo 13. This live chat was recorded on April 16th, 2020. This was during the 50th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 13.
Join Captain Jim Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13 and National Air and Space Museum curator Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony for a discussion about Apollo 13.
Forty years after Apollo 13, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum welcomed Apollo 13 mission commander Jim Lovell, lunar module pilot Fred Haise, Apollo 16 command module pilot Ken Mattingly, and mission controller Gene Kranz for a panel discussion about that historic mission. The lecture was presented April 15, 2010 at the National Air and Space Museum, with Director John R. Dailey and Senator John H. Glenn, astronaut and first American to orbit the Earth, providing introductions.
In 2010, forty years after Apollo 13, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum welcomed Apollo 13 mission commander Jim Lovell, lunar module pilot Fred Haise, Apollo 16 command module pilot Ken Mattingly, and mission controller Gene Kranz for a panel discussion about that historic mission.
How did the events of Apollo 13 change the way NASA developed equipment for space? What was the most tense moment from the perspective of Mission Control, the one where it seemed most likely the mission would end in disaster? Was there ever any discussion of putting these three disappointed souls back into the rotation for another, later mission?