Apr 11 1970
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CCCXXXII from Plesetsk into orbit with 760-km (472.2-mi) apogee, 755-km (469.1-mi) perigee, 99.9min period, and 74.0° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 4/30/70; SBD, 4/20/70, 236)
Nike-Tomahawk sounding rocket was launched by NASA from Churchill Research Range, carrying Univ. of Minnesota experiment to conduct auroral studies. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (SR list)
New York Times editorial commented on substitution of Astronaut John L. Swigert, Jr., for Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II on Apollo 13 mission. "The decision adds a new note of tension and a new reason for worry in what will be-despite the brilliant success of the two earlier moon trips-an exceedingly dangerous venture whose maneuvers require the most precise possible coordination among all three crew members. In the entire history of the space program there can have been few if any more difficult or more hotly debated choices faced by the program's top leaders." (NYT, 4/11/ 70,30)
Apollo 12 moon rock was guarded by three men as firemen fought fire at Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. Lunar sample lent by NASA for display at physics symposium in hotel was kept in place during fire for security reasons. (UPI, W Post, 4/12/70, A3)
April 11-17: NASA's Apollo 13 (AS-508)-carrying three-man crew, LM7 Aquarius and CSM-109 Odyssey-was launched on lunar landing mission, but 56 hrs into flight toward moon mission was aborted because of SM oxygen tank rupture. In most serious in flight situation experienced in manned space program, crew followed LM "lifeboat" emergency plan, transferring to LM and using its systems and supplies to swing around moon and back to earth on fastest feasible course. Emergency procedures were used to make electrical power, water, and oxygen last to end of journey. Crew returned to CM and jettisoned LM before reentry and splashed down safely in Pacific April 17.
April 11-12: Mission began with successful, on-schedule liftoff from KSC Launch Complex 39, Pad A, at 2:13 pm EST April 11, carrying Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr. (commander), John L. Swigert, Jr. (CM pilot), and Fred W. Haise, Jr. (LM pilot). Swigert was last-minute substitution from backup crew for Thomas K. Mattingly II, who had failed to develop immunity after exposure to German measles. Launch was watched by 4500 persons in VIP stands. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, and Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator, watched from KSC firing Room No. 1. Weather conditions at launch were satisfactory: peak ground winds of 10 knots, overcast at 6000 m (20 000 ft), and visibility of 16 km (10 mi).
Spacecraft and S-IVB combination entered parking orbit with 185.5-km (115.3-mi) apogee and 181.5-km (112.8-mi) perigee. During 2nd-stage boost S-II center engine cut off 132 seas early and remaining four engines burned 34 sets longer than predicted. Space vehicle velocity after boost was 68 m per sec (223 fps) lower than planned, causing S-IVB orbital insertion burn to be 9 sets longer than predicted, but sufficient propellants remained for translunar insertion. Onboard TV was initiated at 1:35 GET for 5 1/2 min. Second S-IVB burn, on schedule at 2:41 GET, injected spacecraft on translunar trajectory. CSM separated from S-IVB and LM Aquarius. Onboard TV initiated after separation for 72 min clearly showed CSM "hard-docking" with LM, ejection of CSM/LM from S-IVB/IU at 4:01 GET, S-IVB auxiliary propulsion system (APS) evasive maneuver, and spacecraft exterior and interior.
First S-IVB APS burn, lasting 217 sets beginning at 6:00 GET, aimed stage for lunar target point so accurately that second burn was not required. S-IVB/IU hit lunar surface at 77:57 GET (8:10 pm EST April 14) at 259 m per sec (8465 fps) and energy equivalent to 11.5 tons of TNT at 2:4° south latitude and 27.9° west longitude137.1 km (85.2 mi) from Apollo 12 seismometer that detected impact. Seismic signal for S-IVB/IU was similar to signal from Apollo 12 LM Intrepid that had impacted moon Nov. 20, 1969, but was 20-30 times larger and lasted 3 hrs 20 mins-four times longer. Signal was so large that ground command had to reduce seismometer gain to keep recording on scale. Suprathermal ion detector experiment (SIDE) deployed by Apollo 12 crew recorded jump in the number of ion counts after S-IVB/IU impact. Instrument, in lunar shadow, recorded no ions at time of impact; count increased from few ions 22 secs after impact to 250 and up to 2500 before decreasing to few ions and back to none. Scientists speculated ionization had been produced by 6300 K to 10 300 K (6000°C to 10 000°C) temperatures generated by impact or that particles that reached up to 60 km (37 mi) had been ionized by sunlight.
Translunar insertion maneuver was so accurate that midcourse correction No. 1 (MCC-1) was not necessary. MCC-2, for 3.4 secs at 30:14 GET, placed spacecraft on desired hybrid circumlunar trajectory with closest approach of 114.9 km (71.4 mi). MCC-3 was not necessary. Good-quality TV coverage of preparations for and performance of midcourse maneuver was transmitted for 49 min, beginning at 30:03 GET, including dumping waste water from spacecraft fuel cells with moon visible in background. While joking with Mission Control, Swigert suddenly remembered that he had failed to file his Federal income tax return, but was assured that he could be granted an extension.
April 13-14: Lovell and Haise entered LM for housekeeping and system checks, reported that helium tank that had malfunctioned before launch was satisfactory, transmitted TV pictures of LM interior, and joked about sleeping and eating in space. Haise reported he had shaved to improve his TV image. Lovell closed telecast by wishing everyone on earth "a nice evening," saying astronauts were ready "to get back for a pleasant evening in Odyssey." Minutes later, at 55:55 GET (10:08 pill EST April 13), crew reported undervoltage alarm on CSM main bus B, rapid loss of pressure in SM oxygen tank No. 2, and dropping of current in fuel cells 1 and 3 to zero. "Hey, we've got a problem here," Swigert told ground controllers. "This is Houston, say again please." "Houston, we've had a problem," Lovell replied. And Haise reported "a pretty large bang associated with the caution and warning." A few minutes later crew reported spacecraft was venting something-later determined to be oxygen-out into space. Astronauts could see blizzard of particles flying out of SM, presumably from ruptured tank.
Despite desperate efforts improvised on board and suggested by Mission Control, nothing seemed to halt drop in oxygen pressure. Spacecraft dipped repeatedly, apparently because of venting gas. By 57:24 GET, Mission Control reported tank No. 2 pressure was "slowly going to zero and we're starting to think about the LM lifeboat." Swigert replied, "Yes, that's something we're thinking about, too. We've been talking it over. . ." Decision was made to abort mission. Astronauts hurriedly had to salvage enough oxygen to supply CM during reentry and keep gyros operating until LM navigation equipment could be powered up. With only minutes of power remaining, crew fed oxygen into reserve tank and hooked up emergency batteries to CSM navigation gyros until LM was powered up. Crew activated LM, powered down CSM, and used LM systems for power and life support.
Astronauts remained calm as they wrestled with procedures to stabilize spacecraft and stretch consumables. All information on mission-including details of accident and emergency procedures were made public immediately as data were received. Public's apparent boredom at beginning of mission was transformed into deep concern for astronauts' safety. Messages and offers of aid were sent to U.S. from world leaders and prayers were offered by religious leaders on every continent. MCC-4 was conducted with LM's descent propulsion system (DPS) at 61:30 GET, placing Apollo 13 on free-return trajectory around moon on which CM Odyssey would splash down in Indian Ocean at 152:00 GET. Both LM guidance systems were powered up and primary system used for 263.4-sec DPS burn at 79:28 GET as spacecraft swung out from behind moon, two hours after closest approach. Burn produced 262-m-per-sec (860 fps) differential velocity, shortened predicted return time to 143:53 GET, and moved predicted landing point to mid-Pacific. After maneuver, passive thermal control was established and LM was powered down to conserve consumables. "Aquarius has really been quite a winner," Haise said to Mission Control about three hours later. "When this flight's all over we'll really be able to figure out what a LM can do." During remainder of transearth coast crew continued emergency procedures to deal with shortage of water to cool LM electronic systems, decreasing temperatures in both cabins, and buildup of carbon dioxide in LM. Fearing that CM instruments needed for reentry might freeze, crew kept spacecraft in passive thermal control-"barbecue mode" of rotation to let sun uniformly heat all sides. Astronauts met cooling water shortage by filling every plastic bag they could with water from CM and carrying it to LM. Shortage of air-cleaning lithium hydroxide in LM was met by rigging combination of cm and LM cartridges; following instructions worked out on ground, crew built adapter and ran lunar spacesuit air hoses from LM fans through tunnel to connect to CM air-scrubbing canisters. Transmission of health data was eliminated and communications held to minimum to conserve electricity. Crew tried to keep warm by wearing boots carried for walking on moon, sleeping in narrow tunnel between LM and CSM that seemed warmer, and wearing extra clothing.
April 15-17: MCC-5 at 145:19 GET, by 15-sec LM DPS burn, decreased velocity by 2.3 m per sec (7.5 fps) and raised entry-flight path angle to -6.52°. Crew partially powered up CSM to check thermal conditions. Because of unusual spacecraft configuration (with LM still attached) and LM's inability to survive reentry heat, officials on ground developed new reentry procedures and verified them in ground-based simulations.
A 30-man team at MIT's Charles S. Draper Laboratory worked throughout night studying stressed Apollo 13 guidance system and working out new trajectories. Simulations and programming of emergency problems were conducted by NR engineers in Downey, Calif., by Astronaut Richard F. Gordon, Jr., in LM at KSC, and by Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and David R. Scott at MSC, so that almost every move Apollo 13 crew made had first been proved out on ground, MCC-7 was successfully accomplished at 137:40 GET with 22.4sec LM RCS burn, resulting in predicted -6.49° entry-flight-path angle.
Crew viewed and photographed SM when it was jettisoned at 138:02 GET, reporting that one entire panel was missing near S-band high-gain antenna and that great deal of debris was hanging out. cm was powered up and LM was jettisoned at 141:30 GET. SNAP27 nuclear generator carrying 3.9 kg (8.6 lbs) of radioactive plutonium fell from LM into Pacific northeast of New Zealand. "Farewell, Aquarius, and we thank you," Mission Control responded to spacecraft's report "LM jettison." "She sure was a good ship," Swigert added later. Parachute deployment and other reentry events occurred as planned and Odyssey splashed down in mid-Pacific southeast of American Samoa at 142:54 GET (1:07 PM EST April 17), 6.4 km (4 mi) from recovery ship U.S.S. Iwo Jima.
Astronauts-exhausted but in good health-were picked up by recovery helicopter and were safely aboard recovery ship less than one hour after splashdown. Primary Apollo 13 mission objectives-to make selenological inspection, survey, and sampling of materials in preselected Fra Mauro area; deploy and activate ALSEP; develop man's capability to work in lunar environment; and photograph candidate exploration sites-were not achieved.
Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator, announced April 17 that Apollo 13 Review Board, headed by LaRC Director Edgar M. Cortright, would be established to determine cause of accident. Apollo 13 flight crew performance was outstanding throughout mission; calm, precise reaction to emergency and diligence in configuring and maintaining LM was noteworthy. Despite lack of adequate sleep and low temperature in spacecraft, neither performance nor spirits faltered. Similarly, performance of flight operations team was outstanding in planning and aiding crew to safe return. Apollo 13 was 10th Apollo mission and third manned lunar landing attempt.
Accident was first inflight failure in 22 manned flights in U.S. pace program. Apollo 12 (Nov. 14-24, 1969) and Apollo 11 April 17: Safely home, the Apollo 13 crew stepped aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima recovery ship after splashdown in the South Pacific. Leaving the helicopter (at top, from left) are Astronauts Fred W. Haise, Jr., James A. Lovell, Jr., and John L. Swigert, Jr. In the once tense Mission operations Control Room at MSC (at bottom), Dr. Donald K. Slayton (left of center), Director of Flight Crew Operations, shook hands with Apollo Mission Director Chester M. Lee as arriving Astronaut Lovell appeared on the TV monitor. Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Apollo Program Director, stands behind Lee, with Flight Control Division Chief Eugene F. Kranz sitting at the console in front. (July 16-24, 1969) manned missions had successfully landed on moon and returned to earth with lunar samples. (NASA Proj Off; FonF, 4/16-22/70, 253-5; W Star, 4/12-14/70; NYT, 4/15/70; 4/18/70; 4/19/70; W Post, 4/15/70; 4/18/70, Al; MSC Hist Off; Off NASA Administrator)
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