It was 47 years ago tonight that Apollo 13, having lifted off from their launch pad at Cape Kennedy three days earlier, suffered an explosion en route to the moon. It nearly cost the astronauts their lives.
There have been a lot of things written, and even a decent movie made about the mission. But nothing really compared to actually watching unfold live. Unless you were part of NASA trying to get the astronauts back. Or were one of the astronauts.
I was not quite a teenager, and I remember being glued to the TV as much as I could. I watched the liftoff that Saturday, but wasn’t able to see much during the week, what with school and the TV networks not that interested in “routine” moon missions.
The routine turned into anything but when the explosion happened.
Yes, it’s a long video. That’s why I waited until suppertime to post this. Enjoy.
When I was a professional for the BSA we had an event to bring together Eagle Scouts if all ages. Someone mentioned knowing Gene Kranz and wanted to know if I’d like him to speak at the event. I couldn’t have picked a better person to give a speech that night. He’s an awesome guy who could most likely still kick my but if I crossed him.
Plus I got him to autograph my copy of “Failure is Not an Option”.
I was a freshman engineering student at the time. I had a pile of TIME magazines next to my bunk, one of which had an ad captioned “When North American Rockwell Builds a Spacecraft, North American Rockwell Builds a Spacecraft!” Jargon of the time, I suppose.
When the Apollo 13 Movie came out I picked up my then high-school-aged son and some of his buddies from the theater. Conversation ensues:
Me: What did you think of the movie?
Him: It was OK, but the ending was entirely too predictable.
Me: You know that actually happened, right?
Him: It did?
Me: Face Palm