Apollo 13: Survival

Images from Cape Kennedy show NASA gearing up for a third moon-landing attempt following Apollo 11 and 12. The mission aims to land on a new lunar site and bring back samples for research. Despite superstition around the number 13, NASA sets the launch time at 7:13 pm.

Jim Lovell leads Apollo 13 with Fred Haise and Jack Swigert as crew members. Ken Mattingly is replaced days before launch due to German measles, with Swigert taking his CMP role. Mattingly shifts to a support role with Gene Kranz's team.

Apollo 13 lifts off from Cape Kennedy toward Earth orbit. Within minutes, the central and fifth engines show issues and shut down unexpectedly, but four other engines operate normally. Ground control reassures the crew as countdown continues.

The crew completes the initial Earth-orbit rounds, gaining momentum for the journey to the Moon. Everything seemed on track until the crisis unfolds later in flight. The mission's goal to land on the Moon remains in design, but the crew's fate hangs in balance.

Around 55 hours into the mission, alarms erupt and a spray is seen escaping the spacecraft. A failed pressure sensor and the subsequent loss of oxygen and water cripple the service module. The planned lunar landing becomes an emergency rescue mission.

With the service module failed, the astronauts abandon the plan to land and instead use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat to survive the journey home. Mission control pivots from exploration to survival and coordination.

To stretch limited resources, power and oxygen are rationed and cycles run to preserve life support. The crew and ground team must carefully manage supplies as they drift toward Earth. The LM provides crucial life support during the critical period.

With computer systems strained, the crew conducts manual burns to adjust the course. The main LM engine is used for speed, while other maneuvers are executed to keep the craft on a return path. Each burn requires precise timing and ground support.

Mission control determines the spacecraft's re-entry angle is too shallow. A second burn is executed, this time performed manually with Earth in visual sight rather than relying on faulty computers. The goal is to ensure a safe bend into Earth's atmosphere.

The Lunar Module endures the final approach as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere. After a moment of radio silence, contact is re-established and the crew announces they are all right. Apollo 13 crashes into the South Pacific Ocean where rescue teams retrieve them.

Lovell's narration emphasizes the crisis's unifying effect across nations and politics. The extraordinary survival story inspired hope as people worldwide prayed for the astronauts. The mission's legacy shifts from lunar landing to human resilience.

The film follows Marilyn Lovell, who as wife and mother supported Jim's space career while fearing for his safety. She had made him promise this would be his last mission, a vow tested by the crisis. Her experience highlights the personal cost of space exploration.

In later reflections, investigators point to a pre-launch miscalculation that contributed to the accident and the leak. The incident prompts NASA to re-examine safety protocols and redesign procedures. The close call leads to a stronger emphasis on crew safety.