The Apollo 13 Mission

On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 mission broke the mold of space exploration programs. Three men, one spacecraft, and a Mission Control crew set off for what was supposed to be an exploration and experimentation of rocks found on the moon. This mission became one of the most miraculous events in history. The Apollo 13 is significant to exploration, encounter and exchange in history in that it set the foundation for the space program's growth and further development. The spacecraft’s crew encountered many obstacles during the mission leading NASA to take stronger precautions for future missions. Three astronauts, 205,000 miles from Earth, in a crippled spacecraft rely on teamwork and the desire to survive.

There were three main modules that

James “Jim” A. Lovell was the Commander of Apollo 13 and is a retired captain from the United States Navy. The Apollo 13 launch was his fourth mission (Jones 1). Fred W. Haise was the Lunar Module Pilot. He flew test flights but Apollo 13 was his first space mission (Jones 3). John "Jack" L. Swigert was originally named as the backup Command Module Pilot for Apollo 13 but was moved to the primary crew 72 hours before the launch. His position on the crew was shifted so he could replace Ken Mattingly, who had been exposed to Rubella. Apollo 13 was Swigert’s first mission (Jones 2). Ken Mattingly was removed the primary crew two days before the launch due to his exposure. He went on to play a crucial role in the Mission Control ground crew. Mattingly later flew as backup Command Module Pilot during Apollo 16 (Smithsonian 2). Gene Kranz was NASA's lead flight director for the White Team at Mission Control (Lovell 358). He led a team that worked around the clock to rescue Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert (Lovell and Kluger 358). All of the crewmembers trained extensively prior to boarding the space shuttle. This crew became known less for who they were but for what they were able to accomplish during their primary and secondary missions in

with Jim and his crew members, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Apollo 13, the third lunar landing and exploration mission” (Redmond 11) became more than NASA’s next space mission. The mission of the flight was to reach Fra Maura Landing Site, a long-time interest of NASA. Fra Mauro can be compared to a highland country but located on the moon. The site had young rock formations that covered less than half the moon but contained information within them that could help scientists better understand lunar geology (Jones 2). Due to the rugged terrain, the site created a challenge for