BBC History UK 04.2020

NASA/SHUTTERSTOCK →

for two overwhelmed the Aquarius’s carbon

dioxide scrubbers. Nasa’s engineers scram-

bled to come up with a way of adapting the

square canisters from Odyssey to fit the

cylindrical receptacles in Aquarius before the

crew was poisoned. Joe Kerwin, a doc-

tor-turned-astronaut who had taken over as

capsule communicator, sent the crew on a

frantic scavenger hunt to cobble together an

improvised adaptor from a plastic bag, a

cardboard flight plan cover, a sock and plenty

of duct tape. Every procedure was checked

and double checked, with EECOM controller

John Aaron frequently demanding control-

lers start again from scratch if a proposed

solution squandered water, power or oxygen.

Apollo 13’s trek home was punctuated by

crises. On the afternoon of Wednesday

15  April, the tired, cold and dehydrated

crew were shocked by another bang and

a shudder. Aquarius’s Battery Two had

exploded. Luckily this problem was surviva-

ble. Twice, in the early hours of Thursday

and the morning of Friday, Mission Control

had to instruct the crew to correct the

Aquarius’s cou rse.

As re-entry loomed, the crew prepared to

jettison the Odyssey’s service module before

moving from Aquarius back into the Odys-

sey’s command module for the ride down to

Earth. Separating the service module offered

the crew a sobering glimpse of the damage

the first explosion had caused. “There’s one

whole side of that spacecraft missing!”

exclaimed Lovell as he peered through the

Odyssey’s window. As they moved back from

the Aquarius to the Odyssey, the crew brought

The crew cobbled

together an

adaptor from a

plastic bag, a

cardboard flight

plan cover, a sock

and duct tape

Thomas Ellis will be

discussing Apollo 13 on

our podcast. You’ll be

able to listen to that

at historyextra.com/

podcast

MORE FROM USMORE FROM US

Life support systems

Jack Swigert holds some of the

apparatus that was necessary for the

astronauts to survive once they’d moved

to the Aquarius lunar module – their ‘life

boat’ – before returning to the command

module to attempt the return to Earth

Safe space LEFT: Aquarius

pictured on 17 April. The cramped

lunar module was only designed for

two astronauts but temporarily had

to accommodate three

BELOW: The world was gripped by

the scramble to save the astronauts’

lives, as these British newspaper

headlines show

NASA/SHUTTERSTOCK →

fortwooverwhelmedtheAquarius’s carbon

dioxidescrubbers.Nasa’sengineersscram-

bledtocomeupwitha wayofadaptingthe

squarecanistersfromOdysseytofitthe

cylindricalreceptaclesinAquariusbefore the

crewwaspoisoned.JoeKerwin,a doc-

tor-turned-astronautwhohadtakenoveras

capsulecommunicator,sentthecrewona

franticscavengerhunttocobbletogetheran

improvisedadaptorfroma plasticbag,a

cardboardflightplancover,a sockandplenty

ofducttape.Everyprocedurewaschecked

anddoublechecked,withEECOMcontroller

JohnAaronfrequentlydemandingcontrol-

lersstartagainfromscratchif a proposed

solutionsquanderedwater,poweroroxygen.

Apollo13’strekhomewaspunctuatedby

crises.OntheafternoonofWednesday

15 April,thetired,coldanddehydrated

crewwereshockedbyanotherbangand

a shudder.Aquarius’s BatteryTwohad

exploded.Luckilythisproblemwassurviva-

ble.Twice,intheearlyhoursofThursday

andthemorningofFriday,MissionControl

hadtoinstructthecrew to correct the

Aquarius’s cou rse.

Asre-entryloomed,thecrewpreparedto

jettisontheOdyssey’s servicemodulebefore

movingfromAquariusbackintotheOdys-

sey’s commandmodulefortheridedownto

Earth.Separatingtheservicemoduleoffered

thecrewa soberingglimpseofthedamage

thefirstexplosionhadcaused.“There’sone

wholesideofthatspacecraftmissing!”

exclaimedLovellashepeeredthroughthe

Odyssey’s window.Astheymovedbackfrom

theAquarius to theOdyssey, the crew brought

The crewcobbled

together an

adaptorfrom a

plastic bag,a

cardboard flight

plancover, a sock

and duct tape

ThomasElliswillbe

discussingApollo 13 on

ourpodcast.You’llbe

ableto listento that

athistoryextra.com/

podcast

MORE FROM US

Lifesupportsystems

JackSwigertholdssomeof the

apparatusthatwasnecessaryforthe

astronautsto surviveoncethey’dmoved

to theAquariuslunarmodule– their‘life

boat’– beforereturningto thecommand

module to attempt the return to Earth

SafespaceLEFT:Aquarius

picturedon 17 April.Thecramped

lunarmodulewasonlydesignedfor

twoastronautsbuttemporarily had

to accommodatethree

BELOW:Theworldwasgrippedby

thescrambleto savetheastronauts’

lives,astheseBritish newspaper

headlines show