Apollo 13 Launch: 55 Years Ago

Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission was initially going smoothly until an oxygen tank ruptured 55 hours and 55 minutes into the flight.
Due to the accident, the crew had to abandon their lunar landing plans and instead loop around the Moon to return home safely.
The crew used the lunar module Aquarius as a “lifeboat” to save the spacecraft and crew, going into emergency mode.
Apollo 13 successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa on April 17, marking a heroic recovery from a potentially disastrous mission.

Apollo 13 launches upward, leaving a column of flames and light brown vapor behind it. Trees and vegetation frame the water at the bottom of the photo. Outlines of small animals can be see in the water. At bottom left is written "Apollo 13, launch" in capital letters. At bottom right is a series of letters and numbers labeling the photo.

NASA

NASA astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert launch aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 11, 1970. The mission seemed to be going smoothly until 55 hours and 55 minutes in when an oxygen tank ruptured. The new mission plan involved abandoning the Moon landing, looping around the Moon and getting the crew home safely as quickly as possible. The crew needed to go into “lifeboat mode,” using the lunar module Aquarius to save the spacecraft and crew. On April 17, the crew returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa.

Image credit: NASA

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