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It was April 13, 1970.
On the launch pad of the Kennedy Space Center, the long-planned launch of Apollo 13 was about to take place.
At that time, no one imagined that this space mission would be remembered as a fascinating and dangerous adventure.
A manned spacecraft accident and insufficient preparation for the mission almost led to one of the biggest space disasters.
The Apollo 13 lunar exploration program
The United States, which had landed the Apollo manned spacecraft on the moon for academic purposes, was determined to consolidate its success in the lunar exploration program and the science of human spaceflight.
The plan was for the astronauts to travel in a comfortable command module called "Odyssey", equipped with everything they needed.
Engineers and researchers developed a special fuel refueling system for the service module and created reliable life support devices.
The crew was to use the lunar module Aquarius to land on the moon. The Apollo spacecraft had only just been completed at the time, and there was a risk of failure. The control equipment and life support systems had several minor defects, but the crew was sent off in the spring of 1970. The selection of the crew was considered extremely important. The legendary American astronaut Alan Shepard was replaced by James Lovell shortly before the launch for health reasons. Lovell was originally scheduled for the Apollo 14 mission. The explosion on board The launch went according to plan. The astronauts continued their flight as planned until the second day, reaching 330,000 km from Earth. A live television broadcast was scheduled for the third day. The program would cover the exploration of the moon, the astronauts' mission, and life aboard the spacecraft. The eyes of the entire United States were glued to the television screens. Everyone was anxiously awaiting news from their idols.
While the astronauts were presenting life on board and the environment of the spacecraft to the viewers, the controllers in Houston noticed a fluctuation in the sensor indicators.
There was a change in the levels of liquid oxygen and hydrogen in the tanks of the service module.
After the broadcast of the program ended, the control center instructed that the liquids in the tanks be stirred.
How "Apollo 13" returned to Earth
NASA came up with an alternative plan to bring the spacecraft back safely.
First, it was necessary to correct the orbit, then go around the back of the Moon and accelerate while pointing back towards Earth.
The first stage of the operation was successful.
The spacecraft followed an ideal trajectory towards the Moon.
As it passed close to the back of the Moon, Haise and Swigert excitedly photographed the lunar surface.
However, the commander did not share their joy.
He would probably never set foot on the Moon again. From then on, the return to Earth had to be accelerated so that vital supplies would not run out before they arrived. The Return After Haise, Lovell and Swigert transferred to the "Odyssey", the next task was to undock the service module. As they watched the service module move away, they were met with a terrifying scene. The ship's shell, damaged by the explosion, the deformed engine and the distorted instruments made them tremble with fear. They could only be thankful that their lives had been saved. In addition, they had to undock the lunar module "Aquarius". The astronauts diligently followed Commander Lovell's instructions, checking the tightness of the compartments and the functioning of all life support systems. And so, the lunar module, which never reached the Moon, was left behind, drifting alone towards the distant reaches of space. "Apollo 13" finally entered the Earth's atmosphere.
Investigation of the accident and its results
The lunar exploration mission of the ill-fated spacecraft ended in failure, and NASA decided to conduct a detailed investigation.
This led to a review of the processes of construction and installation of space equipment.
Preparations for the next mission were carried out even more meticulously.
On another "Apollo" mission, supplies of oxygen and water were added, and an instruction manual was prepared for the crew on board in case of emergency.
It is worth mentioning the unplanned records that the crew of "Apollo 13" managed to achieve.
During the rescue operation, they freely set a return trajectory while orbiting the Moon.
As a result, the spacecraft set a new record, reaching the farthest distance from the Earth, 401,056 km.
In addition, this space mission revealed flaws in documentation, inaccuracies in specifications and negligence in testing.