31 Facts Everyone Should Know About Apollo 13 Space Mission!

The Apollo 13 Space Mission, designed by NASA, was another space exploration mission to attempt a third lunar landing on the lunar surface.

The Apollo 13 Space Exploration Mission remains one of the most talked-about space programs in history. This is not because it was a huge success, but because its failure was profoundly tragic and unexpected.

The story was even the inspiration behind the 1995 film Apollo 13. Apollo 13 was the six crew (along with backup) mission in NASA’s Apollo Space Program that lasted a mere five days between April 11 and April 17, 1970.

The specific objective of this Moon landing mission was to complete a landing in the Fra Mauro on the Moon, but it wasn’t successful due to a rupture and explosion of one of the oxygen tanks in the Service module.

Because of this explosion, the mission had to be aborted, and the aim of a third moon landing was reassigned to Apollo 14. However, the crew classified this as a 'successful failure' as all three members returned safely.

After reading about the Apollo 13 mission and other Apollo missions, also check other facts on space trains and space rocks.

Apollo 13 Space Mission Facts

The Apollo 13 Space Mission was part of the Apollo Space Program. This program was designed after President J. F. Kennedy had challenged the country to land a man on the Moon. This challenge gave way to active efforts by NASA to achieve this goal.

Project Gemini and Project Mercury were launched in preparation for the Apollo Program. All of these projects focused on sending astronauts into space. The target was completed in 1969 by Apollo 11 when Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the Moon.

The spacecraft for the Apollo 13 mission was launched on April 11, 1970, from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, located in Florida.

The rocket used to launch Apollo 13 into space was a Saturn V SA-508. It was one of the 15 Saturn Vehicles contracted by NASA for its Apollo Space Program.

Command module pilot Swigert was a last-minute replacement for astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly who was exposed to rubella a few days before the space mission launch.

The elite crew of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission had to undergo rigorous training of 1000 hours; they trained five hours for every single hour they were supposed to spend in space.

The flight controllers underwent training with simulators of possible problems that could occur in the spacecraft and how to react in case of an emergency.

Minutes into the launch, the rocket crew felt a vibration, causing the center engine to shut down two minutes earlier than expected. This, in turn, caused the other four engines to run longer than expected to put Apollo 13 out of Earth’s atmosphere and into the Moon’s orbit.

After the initial glitch in getting Apollo 13 out of Earth’s atmosphere, the mission went on swiftly for two days. On the third day, however, problems began to surface.

On the third day of the Apollo space mission, service module oxygen tank number two blew up soon after the lunar lander had been inspected.

It was later found that the cause of the accident was faulty wiring and errors made during the inspection. Further investigations after the mission’s failure exposed an error in the repairment of the oxygen tank during the preparation phase was the root cause of the explosion.

Apollo 13's command and service module was responsible for landing the astronauts on the Moon’s surface, while the lunar module had the designation of lunar lander spacecraft that was to be flown between the Moon’s surface and the lunar orbit.

When the accident happened, the astronauts reported having heard a loud bang. This was accompanied by electrical fluctuations (resulting ultimately in failure of electrical systems) and glitches in the fuel cells, resulting in insufficient voltage.

The failure of oxygen tank two caused tank one to fail as well. The crew lost the command module’s regular electrical power and light and water supply. Soon after that, it was realized that one of the oxygen tanks had exploded, and the mission’s goal was abandoned.

The lunar module used for the astronauts' journey to Earth had one major problem. The canister holding the lithium hydroxide pellets had absorbed carbon dioxide, which needed to be removed before the journey started. The lunar module helped save the astronauts when the oxygen tank appeared to have depleted and only one remaining fuel cell.

This incident highlighted the dangers of going into space and set a precedent for all subsequent Apollo missions and mission planners to observe more precautions and increase safety measures.

Cool Apollo 13 Space Mission Facts

One of the coolest things about this mission is the inspiration behind several classic movies and dialogues in Hollywood’s history. Movies like Apollo 13 and A Space Odyssey which are counted among the best movies of all time, have been inspired by this Apollo 13 Space Mission.

This has also inspired many authors to write several books inspired by this event or honor those involved. There are also several documentaries being made even today about this historic event.

The famous line 'Houston we have a problem' from the docufiction movie Apollo 13 (1995) was initially spoken by astronaut John Swigert who was in the actual Apollo 13 spaceflight.

The original message was part of a conversation between Commander Jim Lovell, command module pilot John Swigert, and the ground control team at Mission Control where Swigert said, 'Okay, Houston... We’ve had a problem here', the dialogue was changed for the movie as it was not 'dramatic' enough.

The lunar module pilot Fred Haise was also a Marine Corps Fighter pilot and civilian research pilot for NASA before being selected as a group five astronaut. Jim Lovell and Fred Haise also trained with flight controllers at Mission Control. Command module pilots, Jack and Fred, were also part of the group of five astronauts.

The Apollo Command and Service Module-109 were nicknamed Odyssey, and the Lunar Module, originally named Lunar Excursion Module, was nicknamed Aquarius.

The Lunar module, which was initially made to accommodate two people, was used by the three astronauts as a cramped escape vehicle. However, despite the slim odds, the three astronauts were able to make it back to Earth alive despite limited electrical power, depleted fuel cells, and increasing levels of carbon dioxide.

Hidden Apollo 13 Space Mission Facts

There aren’t many facts hidden about this event, mainly because there was massive media coverage and several detailed investigations to find the cause of the failure, as this event was the first of its kind. Apollo 13 brought to light several factors, good and bad about the program.

Some lesser-known facts need to be highlighted when discussing the Apollo 13 Space Mission.

The story of Apollo 13 would be incomplete without these facts. The command and service module (designed by Maxime Faget) and the lunar module (designed by Thomas J. Kelly) were manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation.

The initially planned duration of the Apollo 13 mission was ten days, however, due to the oxygen tank explosion, the mission was cut short, and it only lasted for about six days.

The faulty oxygen tank was previously used in Apollo 10, where it also glitched. It was then repaired and reused after making some changes in Apollo 13. During these repairs, materials like Teflon were used in the oxygen tanks. These materials are flammable in nature, and lack of good judgment proved to be the driving cause of the failure.

Commander Jim Lovell was the only one of the three flight crew members who had been involved in more Apollo missions. He was also involved in the Apollo 8 mission.

The command module had enough lithium hydroxide canisters to support the journey back home but was not made to fit in the lunar module. The support crew at mission control devised a solution which they referred to as 'The Mailbox.'

'The Mailbox' was made from spare materials and instructions, and it was recited to the flight crew over radio contact. Once done and successful, the entire process of this solution was described by Lovell as 'a fine example of cooperation between ground and space'.

The main objective of the Apollo 13 mission was to perform inspection, sampling, and surveying of the Fra Mauro region of the Moon.

Must-Know Apollo 13 Space Mission Facts

There are so many facts about the Apollo 13 Space Mission that it becomes impossible for anyone to remember them all. However, some essential facts need to be kept in mind. Here are some key facts that you should not forget about the Apollo 13 Space Mission.

The Kennedy Space Center located in Florida was the base from where the Apollo 13 mission was launched. Days before the mission's launch date, astronaut Charles Duke, who was the backup lunar module pilot, accidentally exposed the crew to Rubella, causing original command module pilot Ken Mattingly to be replaced.

Despite the mission's failure, it was termed 'a successful failure' because of all the experience and knowledge gained in attempts to save all of the crew aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft. The Apollo 13 space mission was equipped with two oxygen tanks containing liquid oxygen to support the Apollo 13 mission, out of which one oxygen tank exploded.

Instead of completing the mission’s goal, the astronauts were forced to circle around the Moon and instead of making the lunar landing and then return to Earth due to an error in wiring, and subsequent error during an inspection by the astronauts while in space, causing the oxygen tank to explode.

The prime recovery ship, USS Iwo Jima, moved towards the prime recovery zone to help recover the astronauts. The crew was awarded the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Nixon.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our Apollo 13 space mission suggestions, then why not take a look at the 1961 space chimp name or all-female spacewalk.