What happened to Apollo 13? Insights into the nearly fatal NASA mission of 1970

Even decades after the event, Apollo 13 is still considered one of NASA's most monumental and nearly deadly space missions.

What was planned as the third moon landing in 1970 became a desperate fight for survival after an oxygen tank on board exploded. The unwavering teamwork, strength and determination of NASA's astronauts and ground crew continue to inspire more than 50 years later in films such as the Oscar-winning Apollo13The efforts are also discussed in the Netflix documentary Apollo 13: Survivalwhich premiered on September 4th.

The latter offers a new look at the harrowing events of the mission, using archival footage and rare audio recordings to give viewers an intimate look at the near-death episode. It also includes never-before-seen footage and interviews with the original team that shed new light on how the astronauts and ground crew overcame near-impossible obstacles to bring the crew home safely.

“More than 50 years after the mission, the film has put me back in the captain's seat,” Apollo 13 Captain Jim Lovell said in a statement to RadioTimes. “I am grateful that the world now has this outstanding documentary that captures the raw emotion and triumph we felt then. I hope our experiences in space will continue to inspire new heights of exploration in the years to come.”

So what happened to Apollo 13? Here's everything you need to know about one of NASA's most dramatic missions and its significance in the history of space exploration.

What was the mission of Apollo 13?

Apollo 13 was to be the third lunar landing after Apollo 8 (1968) and Apollo 12 (1969). The crew, launched on April 11, 1970, was led by Commander Lovell, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise.

Before the mission, the crew was excited to continue NASA's string of successful lunar landings, and Lovell was eager to finally set foot on the moon after being denied the chance to do so on Apollo 8.

According to NASA, the main objectives of the mission were to explore the proposed landing site near the Fra Mauro region on the moon, collect lunar samples, conduct experiments, and take photographs of potential future landing sites.

However, it was more a lesson in survival than exploration.

What happened to Apollo 13?

Two days after launch, on April 13, 1970, an oxygen tank in Apollo 13's service module exploded. The explosion damaged the spacecraft and left it largely without oxygen, power, and other vital resources.

Lovell's now famous message, “Houston, we had a problem,” marked the beginning of a four-day intensive effort to return the astronauts safely to Earth.

Since energy, food and water were limited, the crew had to rely on the lunar module, which was intended for the moon landing, and served as a lifeboat.

NASA's ground team worked around the clock with the astronauts, improvising solutions on the fly. One of the most critical problems was removing carbon dioxide from the cabin, a task that required a makeshift approach using only the materials available on board.

Despite all the odds, the team managed to guide Apollo 13 around the moon and begin its journey back to Earth, using the moon's gravity to essentially “slingshot” the spacecraft in the right direction, according to the Planetary Society.

Did the crew of Apollo 13 survive?

Lovell, Swigert and Haise survived this near-fatal mission and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970.

After the mission's failure, Lovell admitted his sadness at not reaching the moon, but also acknowledged his relief and pride at having returned home safely.

“I was disappointed that I couldn’t land on the moon,” he said Forbes in 2016. “But actually, it was the best thing that could have happened,” adding, “It revealed the true value of leadership, teamwork and initiative at Mission Control and turned what was almost a certain disaster for NASA into a successful recovery.”

Despite their safe return home after nearly escaping death, none of the Apollo 13 astronauts flew to the moon again.

Lovell retired in 1973, Haise continued working on NASA's Space Shuttle program, and Swigert pursued a political career. The latter was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1982, but sadly died of cancer that same year before he could take office.

What impact did Apollo 13 have on the world?

The Apollo 13 Review Board was subsequently tasked with investigating the accident, determining its causes, and proposing improvements for future missions.

In the report they wrote: “The imperfections of Apollo 13 nearly led to a catastrophe that was averted only by the outstanding performance of the crew and the ground control team that supported them.”

The mission highlighted the dangers of space exploration and served as a wake-up call for the need for safety and preparation in future endeavors.

For Apollo 14 and later missions, several important safety improvements were made to the oxygen system and the oxygen tank was redesigned. Monitoring systems were also improved to provide faster and more visible warnings of problems. The command and service modules were equipped with an emergency water supply and battery, and the lunar module was modified to facilitate the transfer of power to the command module when needed.

The mission also attracted worldwide attention because it showed how human innovation can prevail against all odds. It demonstrated the power of teamwork and problem-solving under pressure – lessons that have since been applied far beyond spaceflight and have been the subject of countless books, films, documentaries and television series.