Space Escape!

On April 11, 1970, commander Jim Lovell and pilots Fred Haise and Jack Swigert entered the Apollo 13 command module. Their mission was meant to be the third moon landing by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. space agency.

At first, everything went according to plan. Then disaster struck. NASA’s team on Earth, led by flight director Gene Kranz, raced to find ways to bring the astronauts home safe.

NASA viewed the Apollo 13 mission as a “successful failure.” The astronauts never made it to the moon. But NASA engineers learned many lessons for building future spacecraft that continue to help keep astronauts safe today.

April 11, 1970: It was launch day for the Apollo 13 mission. Lovell, Haise, and Swigert were ready.

"Can you believe it? In just a few minutes, we'll be in space!"

From Houston, Texas, NASA controllers monitored data from the astronauts’ suits and the rocket’s computers.

"They're counting down."

"Get ready, team!"

The engines fired. The rocket launched into the air. The three astronauts were headed to the moon!

April 13: The crew barreled through space for the next two days. They were busy doing many tasks. They even gave a televised tour of their tiny home for people on Earth to watch.

"This is the Odyssey command module."

"And this is what Fred and Jim will be flying when they land on the moon."

"Look! They're floating!"

Then, at 11:06 p.m. ...

"We’d like you to stir up your cryo tanks."

"Turn on the fans  in the oxygen tanks? You bet."

The whole ship rocked. An explosion drained the Odyssey's power and oxygen.

"Houston, we have a problem here!"

April 14: Mission Control saw one option: Use the Lunar Module (LM) as a life raft. This would save the oxygen and power left in the Odyssey for its return to Earth.

"Move to the LM!"

"Hurry!"

Mission Control planned a course to get Apollo 13 home. The craft would slingshot around the moon and back to Earth, arriving in three days.

"They'll need to drink less water and use less power to make it back."

"We have to make it work."

With less power, the LM quickly became very cold. But the astronauts did as they were told.

"Need any water, Jack?"

"No, save it for later."

April 15: Soon a new deadly problem emerged: With every breath, carbon dioxide (CO₂) built up in the LM. NASA engineers needed to figure out a way to filter it out quickly using only parts on board!

"What if we use the filter cells from the Odyssey?"

"But they’re square!"

"The LM cell ports are round..."

"Listen close...You’re going to build an adapter for the Odyssey’s filter cells."

"Roger that."

"How can we build something we can't see?"

With duct tape, plastic bags, and other random materials, the crew built the adapter.

"CO₂ levels are falling back to normal.'

"That was close!"

April 17: The course around the moon worked. As the astronauts approached Earth, they went back in the Odyssey. The LM and service module wouldn’t make it through Earth’s atmosphere. They had to be released.

"Whoa!"

"What an explosion that was!"

Finally, the Odyssey and its crew returned safely.

"Splashdown! They made it!"

"Great work, everyone!"

"Home sweet home!"

APOLLO 13 SPACECRAFT
Once in space, the outer rocket falls away. Then the spacecraft has three main parts.

1. Service Module: Supplies power, water, and oxygen
2. Command Module (Odyssey): Where astronauts fly the ship
3. Lunar Module (LM or Aquarius): Lands on the moon