NASA/ALAMYThe race to save Apollo 13indications that two of the craft’s three
fuel cells had failed, the astronauts
realised that a lunar landing was out of the
question. Apollo 13’s mission was now one
of survival.
With the Odyssey losing power, Mission
Control had to quickly decide how to bring
Apollo 13 home. The short way was a risky
‘direct abort’ trajectory, where the astro-
nauts would jettison the lunar module and
turn straight back using the Odyssey’s
remaining power. The long way involved
using the Aquarius, the cramped lunar
module that had been designed for just two
astronauts, as a lifeboat and using a free-re-
turn trajectory that would take the space-
craft around the far side of the moon before
being pulled back to Earth. Kranz did not
trust the astronauts’ chances in the dying
command module. So, at 10:50pm Houston
time, the crew abandoned the Odyssey and
sought refuge in the Aquarius. At 2:43am the
Aquarius’s engine fired, shifting the space-
craft back into the free-return trajectory.
With the astronauts safe in the Aquarius
for the time being, Mission Control’s priority
was to conserve power to leave Odyssey with
just enough to make the necessary course
correction manoeuvres for re-entry. Briefing
the assembled controllers, Kranz declaimed:
“Flight control will never lose an American in
space. You’ve got to believe, your people have
got to believe that this crew is coming home.”
As the drama unfolded in space, Nasa
technicians scrambled to find a way to return
the astronauts to Earth safely. In between
working their way through “endless negotia-
tions” and calculations, the technicians
snatched what sleep they could in the break
rooms or under their desks. Meanwhile, Ken
Mattingly, the crew member Swigert had
replaced, and other astronauts ran simula-
tions to test what worked – and what did not.Nixon’s nervous energy
Apollo 13’s problems had begun shortly after
the crew concluded their first television
broadcast. No major network had broadcast
the footage live; having already achieved two
moon landings, the Apollo formula had
dulled with repetition. Once news of the
crisis broke, however, Apollo 13 became the
biggest news story of the day. Like many
Americans, President Richard Nixon obses-
sively followed news of the mission; National
Security Advisor Henry Kissinger recalled
that the crisis “took a heavy toll on Nixon’s
nervous energy”.
No sooner had one problem been solved
than another presented itself. Conserving
power meant sacrificing crew comfort as tem-
peratures in the Aquarius plummeted. The
breath of three astronauts in a module meantParting of ways Jim Lovell in the lunar module, preparing it for
jettison as the crew head back to Earth. One of Mission Control’s greatest
challenges was to preserve enough power in the command module to
negotiate the tortuously difficult re-entry into Earth’s atmosphereMen and machine
RIGH T: The Odyssey service
module bears the scars of
the explosion
BELOW: A diagram of the
Apollo 13 spacecraft,
consisting of its combined
command and service
module Odyssey (capacity
for three men) and the
lunar module Aquarius
(capacity for two)Service
moduleCommand
moduleLunar moduleNASA/ALAMYThe race to save Apollo 13
indicationsthattwoofthecraft’sthree
fuelcellshadfailed,theastronauts
realisedthata lunarlandingwasoutofthe
question.Apollo 13’s mission was now one
ofsurvival.
WiththeOdysseylosingpower,Mission
Controlhadtoquicklydecidehowtobring
Apollo 13 home.Theshortwaywasa risky
‘directabort’trajectory,wheretheastro-
nautswouldjettisonthelunarmoduleand
turnstraightbackusingtheOdyssey’s
remainingpower.Thelongwayinvolved
usingtheAquarius, thecrampedlunar
modulethathadbeendesignedforjusttwo
astronauts,asa lifeboatandusinga free-re-
turntrajectorythatwouldtakethespace-
craftaroundthefarsideofthemoonbefore
beingpulledbacktoEarth.Kranzdidnot
trusttheastronauts’chancesinthedying
commandmodule.So,at10:50pmHouston
time,thecrewabandonedtheOdysseyand
soughtrefugeintheAquarius. At2:43amthe
Aquarius’s enginefired,shiftingthespace-
craftbackintothefree-returntrajectory.
WiththeastronautssafeintheAquarius
forthetimebeing,MissionControl’spriority
wastoconservepowertoleaveOdysseywith
justenoughtomakethenecessarycourse
correctionmanoeuvresforre-entry.Briefing
theassembledcontrollers,Kranzdeclaimed:
“FlightcontrolwillneverloseanAmericanin
space.You’vegottobelieve,yourpeoplehave
gottobelievethatthiscrewis cominghome.”
Asthedramaunfoldedinspace,Nasa
techniciansscrambledtofinda waytoreturn
theastronautstoEarthsafely.Inbetween
workingtheirwaythrough“endlessnegotia-
tions”andcalculations,thetechnicians
snatchedwhatsleeptheycouldinthebreak
roomsorundertheirdesks.Meanwhile,Ken
Mattingly,thecrewmemberSwigerthad
replaced,andotherastronautsransimula-
tions to test what worked – and what did not.
Nixon’snervousenergy
Apollo13’sproblemshadbegunshortlyafter
thecrewconcludedtheirfirsttelevision
broadcast.Nomajornetworkhadbroadcast
thefootagelive;havingalreadyachievedtwo
moonlandings,theApolloformulahad
dulledwithrepetition.Oncenewsofthe
crisisbroke,however,Apollo 13 becamethe
biggestnewsstoryoftheday.Likemany
Americans,PresidentRichardNixonobses-
sivelyfollowednewsofthemission;National
SecurityAdvisorHenryKissingerrecalled
thatthecrisis“tooka heavy toll on Nixon’s
nervousenergy”.
Nosoonerhadoneproblembeensolved
thananotherpresenteditself.Conserving
powermeantsacrificingcrewcomfortastem-
peraturesintheAquariusplummeted.The
breath of three astronauts in a module meant
PartingofwaysJimLovellin thelunarmodule,preparingit for
jettisonasthecrewheadbackto Earth.Oneof MissionControl’sgreatest
challengeswasto preserveenoughpowerin thecommandmoduleto
negotiate the tortuously difficult re-entry into Earth’s atmosphereMenandmachine
RIGH T:TheOdysseyservice
modulebearsthescars of
theexplosion
BELOW:Adiagramof the
Apollo 13 spacecraft,
consistingof itscombined
commandandservice
moduleOdyssey(capacity
forthreemen)andthe
lunarmoduleAquarius
(capacity for two)Service
moduleCommand
moduleLunar module