The Challenges presented in the Apollo 13 Mission Were a Defining Moment for NASA
Quick Facts: What Went Wrong on Apollo 13
Launch date: April 11, 1970, from Kennedy Space Center
Goal: the third crewed Moon landing, roughly 250,000 miles away
What happened: an oxygen tank exploded 56 hours into the mission, knocking out main power and life support
How they got home: Mission Control and the crew used the Moon’s gravity to loop the spacecraft back toward Earth
What Went Wrong on Apollo 13?
On April 11, 1970 Apollo 13 took off from the Kennedy space Center.
The plan was to land on the moon 250,000 miles away.
This would be the third lunar landing.
Unfortunately, an oxygen tank exploded 56 hours into the mission.
After the explosion, the spacecraft lost its main source of electrical power.
Apollo 13 also lost the ability to sustain life support systems.
Landing on the moon was no longer possible.
The mission was now about survival.
The astronauts and Mission Control devised to plan to loop around the moon, using gravity and thrust to help propel them back to earth.
They succeeded and mankind continued exploring space, and returned to the moon in future missions.
This video shows the view Apollo 13 astronauts had as they orbited the moon.
Video credit: NASA
Script: Jef Gray
Production: International Peace and Film Festival @intpeacefest
