Apollo 13 was a manned mission to the moon launched by NASA in April 1970. The mission was intended to be the third lunar landing, but it was aborted due to a failure on the spacecraft. The mission was crewed by astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise.
During the mission, an oxygen tank on the spacecraft exploded, causing a loss of power and vital systems. The astronauts were forced to shut down the command module and use the lunar module as a “lifeboat” to return to Earth.
Despite the serious problems they faced, the astronauts were able to safely return to Earth, thanks in large part to the efforts of mission control and the support of the entire NASA team. The mission was a major test of the astronauts’ skills and the resources of NASA, and it is widely regarded as a testament to the bravery and determination of the astronauts and the NASA team.
After the successful return of the astronauts, the Apollo 13 mission was hailed as a “successful failure” because of the ingenuity and resourcefulness that was required to bring the astronauts back home safely. The mission was later the subject of a book and a movie, both titled “Apollo 13.”