Fate Romeo and Juliet

This article is about the Apollo mission. For the film based upon it, see Apollo 13 (film). For the Lovell-authored book called Apollo 13, see Lost Moon.

Apollo 13
Mission insignia

Mission statistics[1]
Mission name Apollo 13
Command Module CM-109
callsign Odyssey
mass 12,365 pounds (5,609 kg)
Service Module SM-109
mass 51,105 pounds (23,181 kg)
Lunar Module LM-7
callsign Aquarius
mass 33,493 pounds (15,192 kg)
Crew size 3
Booster Saturn V SA-508
Launch pad LC 39A
Kennedy Space Center
Florida, USA
Launch date April 11, 1970
19:13:00 UTC
Lunar landing Planned for Fra Mauro. Cancelled due to onboard explosion
Number of lunar orbits 0
Landing April 17, 1970
18:07:41 UTC
21°38′24″S 165°21′42″W
Mission duration 5 d 22 h 54 m 41 s
Crew photo

Left to right: Lovell, Swigert, Haise
Related missions
Previous mission Subsequent mission
Apollo 12 Apollo 14

Original crew photo.
Left to right: Lovell, Mattingly, Haise.
Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was successfully launched toward the Moon, but the landing had to be aborted after an oxygen tank exploded, severely damaging the spacecraft's electrical system. The flight was commanded by James A. Lovell with John L. "Jack" Swigert as Command Module pilot and Fred W. Haise as Lunar Module pilot. Swigert was a late replacement for the original CM pilot Ken Mattingly, who was grounded by the flight surgeon after exposure to German measles.
The mission was launched on April 11, 1970 at 13:13 CST. Two days later an oxygen tank ruptured which crippled the service module upon which the Command Module depended. To conserve its batteries and the oxygen needed for the last hours of flight, the crew instead used the Lunar Module's resources as a "lifeboat" during the return trip to Earth. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of potable water and the critical...