jsc2020m001403_NASA_Apollo_13_Veterans_Recall_Mission_50_Years_Later-201027

NASA Apollo 13 Veterans Recall Mission 50 Years Later On the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13, four veterans of the mission discussed the mission that has become known as one of NASA Mission Control’s finest hours and a “successful failure.” Apollo 13 was supposed to land in the lunar region of Fra Mauro, but at 9:08 p.m. EST April 11, 1970, but a service module oxygen tank exploded and the command module's normal supply of electricity, light and water was lost, while the spacecraft and crew were about 200,000 miles (321,869 kilometers) from Earth. The crew moved to the lunar module, and used it as a lifeboat. With the help of Mission Control, astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise conserved their power, food and water to get around the Moon and back home for a safe landing in the Pacific Ocean at 1:07 p.m. April 17, 1970. In this interview, retired flight directors (from left) Glynn Lunney and Gene Kranz, astronaut Fred Haise, and Hank Rotter, a retired engineer specializing in life support systems who helped manage consumables usage from a Mission Control support room, look back on the remarkable events 50 years ago.