just_a_gals_art
50 years ago, today: 200,000 miles from earth.
“Houston, we’ve had a problem”
An explosion ripped a huge hole in the side of the Service Module of Apollo 13, causing the power system and oxygen supply required for the mission to be completely lost in a matter of minutes.
Normally the crew of a spacecraft suffering this kind of failure would have been dead within hours, but they are fortunate that they have a second smaller spacecraft designed to land on the moon, that has a smaller but independent power system and oxygen supply, the Lunar Module.
Using the Lunar Module as a life boat and the small batteries on the Command Module, the only part of the spacecraft capable of reentry thru the earth’s atmosphere, the crew and thousands of ground controllers and support personal on Earth were able to successfully keep the crew alive long enough for them to return to Earth.
The movie Apollo 13 is an excellent retelling of this story. Lost Moon the book the movie is based on is also excellent. Jim Lovell the mission commander and Fred Haise the Lunar Module pilot are both still alive today. Jack Swigert unfortunately died of cancer in 1982.
This picture, taken just before reentry to the Earth’s atmosphere from the Command Module, after the Service Module separation, is the first time they were able to see the extent of the damage from the explosion.
In the coming days and weeks and likely months as we work thru our own current pandemic, it is worth remembering what we as human beings are capable of overcoming when we work together to solve a common and maybe sometimes seemingly overwhelming problem.
Be safe, stay physically separate but remember to be kind and help those out there who need help at this moment. Thank you.
50 years ago, today: 200,000 miles from earth.
“Houston, we’ve had a problem”
An explosion ripped a huge hole in the side of the Service Module of Apollo 13, causing the power system and oxygen supply required for the mission to be completely lost in a matter of minutes.
Normally the crew of a spacecraft suffering this kind of failure would have been dead within hours, but they are fortunate that they have a second smaller spacecraft designed to land on the moon, that has a smaller but independent power system and oxygen supply, the Lunar Module.
Using the Lunar Module as a life boat and the small batteries on the Command Module, the only part of the spacecraft capable of reentry thru the earth’s atmosphere, the crew and thousands of ground controllers and support personal on Earth were able to successfully keep the crew alive long enough for them to return to Earth.
The movie Apollo 13 is an excellent retelling of this story. Lost Moon the book the movie is based on is also excellent. Jim Lovell the mission commander and Fred Haise the Lunar Module pilot are both still alive today. Jack Swigert unfortunately died of cancer in 1982.
This picture, taken just before reentry to the Earth’s atmosphere from the Command Module, after the Service Module separation, is the first time they were able to see the extent of the damage from the explosion.
In the coming days and weeks and likely months as we work thru our own current pandemic, it is worth remembering what we as human beings are capable of overcoming when we work together to solve a common and maybe sometimes seemingly overwhelming problem.
Be safe, stay physically separate but remember to be kind and help those out there who need help at this moment. Thank you.