50 years since “They Had A Problem”

[tomato]

Apologies if I’m not the first to flag this milestone on this forum, but in these current uncertain times, it might be helpful to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission. I was just a kid but I do remember the sense that the whole world was willing the astronauts to make it back safely and I still marvel at the power of the collective science, ingenuity and goodwill that made it happen.

I don’t know if Gene Kranz actually said the words, but IMHO it was NASA’s finest hour.

Edited April 10, 2020 by tomato

[Gfamily]

The excellent 13 Minutes to the Moon podcast (original series about the descent of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module) is having a second series about the way the Apollo 13 mission was saved.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2

[Tomatobro]

I was looking at the Bepi Colombo flyby of Earth video on Spaceweather and it reminds me of just how far we have come in those 50 years.

[fireballxl5]

At least they could joke about it afterwards...

 

[Second Time Around]

50 years ago! I feel old!

[Gina]

I remember watching the first moon landing with Apollo 11.  The moonwalk was on my birthday and I felt privileged to watch it.

[Gfamily]

A new NASA documentary has been produced about the mission

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8kjDF0IJU

Edited April 11, 2020 by Gfamily

[maw lod qan]

Thinking back, I was just a know nothing kid, 14 and a half. With Apollo 11, I sat glued to the chair, watching a snowy image on the television thinking, this is so incredible.

Are you superstitious or would you have gotten on a craft numbered 13?

Worked with a large farmer who had nothing with that number!

As a group here on the SGL, we know there isn't anything easy when it comes to space exploration. But the way E. Musk is working the general population will quickly get once again thinking it's just a walk in the park!

[George Jones]

I was only nine, but I remember when this happened.

A few days ago, I pulled out my copy of he Haynes "Apollo 13 Owners' Workshop Manual An engineering insight into how NASA saved the crew of the crippled Moon mission". I ordered this book from Amazon after learning about it in a thread here on SGL.

[Gina]

I was 27 when they landed on the moon first time.  WOW!!!  Half a century ago! 

[Sunshine]

Tom Hanks handled it like a boss, i saw it all live on the big screen.

[tomato]

5 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Tom Hanks handled it like a boss, i saw it all live on the big screen.

For once, a Hollywood movie of a real event that is pretty accurate, one of my favourites.

[Erling G-P]

26 minutes ago, tomato said:

For once, a Hollywood movie of a real event that is pretty accurate, one of my favourites.

A stellar movie!  You KNOW they survive, and yet the tension at Mission Control, when there's no reply during reentry, is palpable.