Facts about Apollo 13

1. 08

   In 1970, Apollo 13's navigation team used a lunar gravity assist maneuver to correct the spacecraft's trajectory without expending precious fuel during the emergency return to Earth.

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2. 07

   Astronauts aboard Apollo 13 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970, after traveling 248,655 miles in eight days without ever landing on the Moon.

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3. 06

   During re-entry on April 17, 1970, Apollo 13's heat shield had to protect the command module from temperatures exceeding 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit while engineers worried whether lunar dust contamination would compromise its integrity.

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4. 05

   Fred Haise's body temperature dropped to 94 degrees Fahrenheit during Apollo 13's return voyage due to the command module's severely reduced power consumption and heating systems.

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5. 04

   Mission Control calculated that Apollo 13 would need to power down the command module to 55 amps to conserve electricity during the four-day return journey to Earth.

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6. 03

   Jack Swigert transmitted the now-famous phrase "Houston, we've had a problem" at 55 hours 46 minutes mission elapsed time when oxygen tank 2 ruptured.

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7. 02

   The lunar module's carbon dioxide scrubbing system required an adapter fabricated from command module lithium hydroxide canisters, plastic bags, and duct tape to sustain the three astronauts during their 90-hour journey home.

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8. 01

   Oxygen tank 2 exploded on April 13, 1970, forcing Apollo 13 astronauts Lovell, Haise, and Swigert to abort their lunar landing and use the lunar module as a lifeboat.

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