APOLLO 1 PRE-LAUNCH TEST CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA
The crew's crossing gantry for ingress.
Roger that.
JANUARY 27, 1967
Inspired by the late President Kennedy...
in only seven years, America has risen to the challenge of what he called:
"The most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure...
"on which man has ever embarked."
After trailing the Russians for years with our manned space program...
and after that sudden and horrible fire...
on the launch pad during a routine test...
that killed American astronauts Gus Grissom...
Ed White and Roger Chaffee...
there were serious doubts that we could beat the Russians to the moon.
JULY 20, 1969 HOUSTON, TEXAS But tonight, a mere 18 months after the tragedy of Apollo 1...
the entire world watched in awe as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin...
landed on the moon.
The big news came just a moment ago.
Mission Control gave the spacecraft permission...
to go for the extravehicular activity...
that is, for the walk on the moon...
far earlier than anticipated, 9:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time...
The important thing when you penetrate the lunar module is your attitude...
and relative speed.
Let's say this is me here in the command module and this is you...
- All right. ...in the LEM.
This thing sticking out here is called the probe.
- Is that true? - Absolutely.
Tracey, when you feel that thing slide in, everything's clicking...
it's like no other feeling in the world.
Some liquid propulsion. What's the occasion?
How's it going at Mission Control?
It's a nervous time. They're pacing around and smoking.
Gene Kranz is gonna have puppies. Jim Lovell.
This is Tracey.
How do you do? This is the man.
Gemini 7. Gemini 12. Apollo 8. They were the first around the moon.
This guy did 10 laps.
With one hand on the wheel. Make yourselves at home.
This is the last champagne in the city of Houston.
- Very good. - Everything else all right?
Everything's on course. Okay. Cadet Lovell.
- Hey, Dad. - Put this on ice. Make sure it gets cold.
- You gonna get a haircut this week? - I'm on vacation.
Get a haircut.
I wouldn't mind being up there tonight. God, who wouldn't.
Don't worry. Our day's coming.
They're not gonna cut the program before number 14.
You know, my cousin called.
Asked who we bribed to get on Jim Lovell's crew.
I told him they wanted to make sure he got the best.
Well, they got that right.
What network do we want?
Put on Walter!
Jules Bergman!
John, turn it up!
I really appreciate...
you all coming to this dress rehearsal party for my Apollo 12 landing.
Sit down, Conrad.
I think we should all take a moment to recognize...
the exemplary...
hell, damn near heroic effort...
displayed by Neil Armstrong's backup for this historic moon walk...
and, of course, his crew.
Let's hear it for Jim Lovell, Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise.
There he is! Everybody quiet down!
Hey! Kids!
You got a good picture?
We can verify the position of the opening I ought to have on the camera.
- You think it's too late for him to abort? - He still has time to get out.
- He just needs somebody to wave him off. - Pull up, Neil!
Pull up!
Neil, we can see you coming down the ladder now.
Look at those pictures.
I'm at the foot of the ladder.
The LEM footpads are only depressed in the surface about...
one or two inches.
It's almost like a powder.
Armstrong is on the moon.
Neil Armstrong, 38-year-old American...
standing on the surface of the moon...
on this July 20, 1969.
That's one small step for man...
one giant leap for mankind.
His quote was:
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. "
You're drunk, Lovell.
I'm not used to the champagne.
Me, neither.
I can't deal with cleaning up. Let's sell the house.
All right, let's sell the house.
They're back inside now looking up at us.
Isn't that something?
I bet Jannie Armstrong doesn't get a wink of sleep tonight.
When you were on the far side on 8, I didn't sleep at all.
I just vacuumed over and over again.
Christopher Columbus, Charles Lindbergh, and Neil Armstrong.
Neil Armstrong.
From now on, we live in a world where man has walked on the moon.
It's not a miracle.
We just decided to go.
On Apollo 8, we were so close...
just 60 nautical miles down and...
It was as if I could just...
step out and walk on the face of it.
I want to go back there.
Where's my mountain?
It's right up by the...
Do you see where the shadow crosses...
the white area there? That's the Sea of Tranquility...
and your mountain's on the edge of that.
It's your mountain, Marilyn. Mount Marilyn.
I don't see it.
Well, you gotta look harder.
You look harder...
while I...
VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA
The astronaut is the most visible member of a very large team.
OCTOBER 30, 1969
All of us, down to the guy sweeping the floor...
are honored to be a part of it.
What did the man say? "Give me a lever long enough and I'll move the world"?
That's what we're doing here. This is divine inspiration, folks.
It's the best part of each one of us, the belief that anything is possible.
Things like a computer that can fit into a single room...
and hold millions of pieces of information...
or the Saturn 5 rocket.
This is the actual launch vehicle that will be taking Alan Shepard...
and his crew on the first leg of the Apollo 13 mission.
When are you going up again, Jim?
I'm slated to be the commander of Apollo 14 sometime late next year.
If there is an Apollo 14.
People in my state have been asking why we're continuing...
to fund this program now that we've beaten the Russians to the moon.
Imagine if Christopher Columbus had come back from the New World...
and no one returned in his footsteps.
Attention, all personnel. Clear level 3.
Are there any other questions?
How do you go to the bathroom in space?
It's a highly technical process...
of cranking down the window and looking for a gas station which...
There's Deke Slayton.
You might be able to answer this lady's question.
Deke is one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, ladies and gentlemen.
Now he's our boss. He hands out the astronauts' flight assignments...
so naturally we kick back part of our salaries to Deke.
- How much this month? - Can I have a minute? Something's come up.
Sure.
Hey!
Anybody home? I'm not being a cheerleader, Mom!
You don't understand! I worked so hard!
Maybe I don't understand...
but you are not wearing that out in this neighborhood.
She's not even wearing a bra! You can see everything!
Shut up!
Hey, everybody. Marilyn, trick or treat.
You know that Easter vacation trip we had planned for Acapulco?
I was thinking there might be a slight change in destination.
Really?
Maybe, say...
the moon.
Al Shepard's ear infection has flared up...
and we've all been bumped up to the prime crew of Apollo 13.
Straight to the head of the line and the Fra Mauro Highlands.
Six months? You're moving up six months?
Dad, can I please wear this?
Sure.
No! Absolutely not.
They're not rushing things, are they? You'll be ready in six months?
We'll be ready. I wouldn't want to be around Al Shepard tonight.
I gotta get over there and get up to speed on this.
Go.
I'm gonna walk on the moon, Marilyn.
I know. I can't believe it.
Naturally, it's 13. Why 13?
It comes after 12, hon.
Apollo 13, you are go for pyro arm and docking.
All systems are nominal and on the line.
MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER HOUSTON, TEXAS S- 4B is stable, SLA panels are drifting free.
3 MONTHS PRIOR TO LAUNCH The drogue is clear. The docking target is clear.
I'm coming up on that now. Two, one, mark.
Seventy-five feet. We're coming up on docking.
Let's shut down some thrusters on them. Let's see what he does.
Wait a minute.
I lost something here. I can't translate up.
Houston, we are drifting down and away.
- Wanna back off and take another run? - No, I got it.
Let me just try and get it stable here.
I'm gonna reset the high gain. I've got the target back in the reticle.
Okay, we're stable. Recycle the valves.
Forty feet. They're all gray.
Twenty.
Ten feet.
Capture. That's it!
- That's it. - Sweet move, Ken. Beautiful.
- Gentlemen, that is the way we do that. - Man, that woke me up.
Apollo 13 backup crew, you're up in the simulator.
- Nice job, gentlemen. - That's three hours of boredom...
followed by seven seconds of sheer terror.
Good job, guys. You just won the Christmas turkey.
Nice try, Frank.
You really outfoxed them.
Yeah, but it wasn't perfect. Used up too much fuel.
You're above the curve.
Not by much. Listen, guys, I wanna work it again.
We gotta be up with the dawn patrol headed for Bethpage at 0700.
- Wheels up at 0700. - Yeah, I know...
but my rate of turn is still a little slow there.
I really think we should work it again.
- Let's get it right. - Set it up again, Frank.
Okay, 13 backup crew. It'll have to wait.
Prime crew's up for another run.
Apollo 13, we show S-4B shutdown...
and all systems are nominal.
Fred, set the S-band omni to B...
and when you get in the LEM, to forward.
Good shape over here.
Hey, we got a problem.
Cabin depress. Repeat, cabin depress.
- Ken, get your helmet on! - I can't get it locked!
Houston, something ripped a big hole in us! We got rapid depress!
Oh, God!
I thought the stars would fall on you.
MARCH 23, 1970 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO LAUNCH
That's silly. Stars can't fall on us.
You're a smarter kid than I was.
How long will it take you to get to the moon?
Four days.
But that's pretty fast.
See, this is the Saturn 4B booster...
and it shoots us away from the Earth...
as fast as a bullet from a gun...
until the moon's gravity actually grabs us and pulls us...
into a circle around the moon...
which is called an orbit. All right?
Fred and I float down the tunnel into the lunar module...
this spidery-looking guy.
Only holds two people, and it's just for landing on the moon.
And I take the controls, steer it around...
and I fly it down...
adjusting it here, the attitude there, pitch, roll...
for a nice, soft landing on the moon.
Better than Neil Armstrong. Way better than Pete Conrad.
Did you know the astronauts in the fire?
Yeah. I knew the astronauts in the fire. All of them.
Could that happen again?
Well, I'll tell you something about that fire.
A lot of things went wrong.
The door.
It's called the hatch. They couldn't get it open when they needed to get out.
That was one thing.
A lot of things went wrong in that fire.
Did they fix it?
Yes, absolutely. We fixed it.
It's not a problem anymore.
I can't believe they still have you doing public appearances.
Well, Henry Hurt was all over me.
With a training schedule this tight, they shouldn't be asking.
It's the program, Marilyn. You know, it's NASA.
Hey, you're Jim Lovell, aren't you?
Hey! Lucky 13!
Right on!
That's the second time it's done that.
I was looking at the kids' school schedule coming up.
It's a very busy week.
I'm thinking about not going to the launch.
The kids need me at home.
Marilyn, we've had these kids for a while now.
They've never kept you from coming to the other launches.
But your mother just had this stroke.
Mom's fine.
It's not like I've never been to a launch.
The other wives have not done three.
I just don't think I can go through all that.
I'll just be glad when this one's over.
You're gonna miss a hell of a show.
Hey, guys. See you in a few weeks.
Take care. Bring us back a moon rock.
The number 13 doesn't bother you?
Only if it's a Friday.
APRIL 7, 1970 CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA 4 DAYS PRIOR TO LAUNCH
Apollo 13, lifting off at 1300 hours and 13 minutes...
and entering the moon's gravity on April 13?
Ken Mattingly here has been doing some scientific experiments...
regarding that very phenomenon.
Yes, well, I had a black cat...
walk over a broken mirror...
under the lunar module ladder. It didn't seem to be a problem.
We're considering a letter we got...
which said we ought to take a pig with us for good luck.
Does it bother you that the public thinks this is routine?
There's nothing routine about flying to the moon. I can vouch for that.
I think that an astronaut's last mission...
his final flight is always very special.
Why is this your last, Jim?
I'm in command of the best ship...
with the best crew that anybody could ask for...
and I'll be walking in a place where there's 400 degrees difference...
between sunlight and shadow.
I can't imagine ever topping that.
APRIL 9, 1970- 2 DAYS PRIOR TO LAUNCH
We have that scheduled for 0900 hours tomorrow.
- That's not gonna work, Walter. - Why?
Freddo and I are going over the lunar surface experiments tomorrow...
and Ken's gonna be back in the simulator. We're going over the flight plan tonight.
Gonna pay a visit to this machine after you're hard down.
Jim, we've got a problem.
We just got some blood work from the lab. Charlie Duke has the measles.
So we need a new backup.
You've all been exposed to it. I've had the measles.
Ken Mattingly hasn't.
You wanna break up my crew two days before the launch...
when we can predict each other's moves, read the tone of each other's voices?
Ken Mattingly will get seriously ill...
precisely when you and Haise will be ascending from the lunar surface.
That's a lousy time for a fever.
Jack Swigert has been out of the loop for weeks.
He's fully qualified to fly this mission.
He's a fine pilot, but when was the last time he was in a simulator?
I'm sorry, Jim. I understand how you feel.
We can do one of two things.
We can either scrub Mattingly and go with Swigert...
or we can bump all three of you to a later mission.
I've trained for the Fra Mauro Highlands...
and this is flight surgeon horseshit, Deke!
Jim, if you hold out for Ken, you will not be on Apollo 13.
It's your decision.
Let it ring.
Listen, I gotta take that.
Why? Because I'm on the backup crew...
and the backup crew has to set up the guest list and book the hotel rooms.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
I understand.
Thank you, sir.
Damn.
Medical guys.
I had a feeling when they started doing all the blood tests that...
I mean, I know it's their ass if I get sick up there, but, I mean... Jesus!
Swigert, he'll be fine.
He's strong.
It'll be a hell of a mission. One for the books.
You sure about this? Why don't I talk to Deke?
I'm sure we can work this out.
This was my call.
Must've been a tough one.
Look, I don't have the measles.
I'm not gonna get the measles.
Ken, wait up.
Trajectory is holding steady. We're right on the line.
We're into program 64 at.05 G...
so we're feeling that gravity now.
Houston, we are at 400,000 feet passing entry interface.
About to lose signal.
Re-entry data is nominal, and we have radio blackout.
What's the story here?
I got a corridor light. We're coming in too shallow.
I'm going to manual.
Houston, switching to SCS. Roger, 13.
Okay, we're at three Gs.
Five Gs.
We're coming in too steep.
I'm gonna stay in this roll and see if I can pull us out.
We're at eight Gs.
Nine.
Ten.
- We're at 12 Gs. - 12 Gs. We're burning up.
Damn it!
I gave them a false indicator light at entry interface.
Even Mattingly didn't get it the first time.
How are you feeling, Freddo?
Charbroiled.
What happened?
Came in too steep. We're dead.
No shit.
We were into program 67 there.
We're gonna do this again, obviously.
Give us a minute to get our switches reset.
Jim, could we have a word?
Sure, Deke.
We're going to drop offline and debrief this one on our own.
If I had a dollar every time they killed me in this thing...
I wouldn't have to work for you, Deke.
Well, we have two days. We'll be ready.
Let's do it again.
Do it again.
Get down, Fred! Stephen, come here!
APRIL 10, 1970- NIGHT BEFORE LAUNCH
We can't go across that road.
We don't want Daddy to get our germs and get sick in outer space.
Hey, boys. Not giving your mom a hard time, are you?
Princess, you look beautiful.
That looks like Marilyn Lovell.
But it can't be. She's not coming to the launch.
I heard it was gonna be a hell of a show.
Who told you that?
Some guy I know.
You can't live without me.
Okay, folks. Let's say good night.
It's a big day tomorrow for the guys. Good night!
You hear about Ken?
Yeah.
APRIL 11, 1970- CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA
Stand back, please.
Guenter Wendt!
I wonder where Guenter went?
- You walk on the moon, ja? - Ja, we walk...
and we talk on the moon.
How do you feel? Pretty good?
Might be a little warmer in here.
How are you? Good.
Ready? Yeah.
God, no.
Oxygen purge system. Check.
Helmet restraint ring. Check.
Communication umbilical on.
Fred. What?
Gum. Sorry.
Thanks.
I'm gonna give these guys a beautiful ride.
I'm sure you will, Jack.
You need more air?
You want some apple?
I hate this already.
You're not just about to pop, are you?
No. I got 30 days till this blasts off.
MISSION CONTROL HOUSTON, TEXAS
This is for Gene.
Mrs. Kranz has pulled out the needle and thread again.
The last one looked like he bought it off a gypsy.
Well, you can't argue with tradition.
Copy that.
This is from your wife, Gene.
Thank you, Tom.
I was starting to get worried.
There we go.
I like that one. Sharp.
Jim, you're all set.
Very sharp.
Gene, I guess we can go now.
Save it for splashdown, guys.
Apollo 13 flight controllers, listen up.
Give me a "go, no go" for launch.
Booster. Go.
RETRO. Go.
FIDO. We're go, Flight.
Guidance. Go.
- Surgeon. - Go, Flight.
EECOM.
We're go, Flight. GNC.
TELMU. Go.
Control. Go.
Procedures. INCO. Go.
- FAO. - We are go.
Network. Recovery. Go.
CAPCOM. We're go, Flight.
Launch control, this is Houston. We are go for launch.
Roger that, Houston.
LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA
Pad leader, what's your status?
We are go for launch.
T minus 60 seconds and counting.
Stand by. Roger.
Fuel pumps.
This is it. A few bumps and we're hauling the mail.
Control, this is Guidance. We're ready for takeoff.
We are go for launch.
T minus...
fifteen, fourteen...
thirteen, twelve, eleven...
ten, nine...
eight, seven...
six.
Ignition sequence starts.
Three, two, one.
Ignition!
The clock is running!
We have lift-off!
Houston, we have cleared the tower at 13:13.
Okay, guys, we got it.
Come on, baby.
Altitude is on the line.
Velocity right on the line.
Roll complete. We are pitching.
13, stand by for Mode One Bravo.
FIDO, how we looking?
Looks good, Flight. Right down the middle.
We see your BPC is clear, 13.
Roger. EDS to manual.
Inboard.
Get ready for a little jolt, fellas.
That was some little jolt.
Tower jett.
Houston, we've got a center engine cut-off. Go on the other four.
Roger that, 13. We show the same.
Booster, can you confirm that cut-off?
- Roger. Looks like we lost it. - FIDO, what'll that do to us?
Stand by, Flight.
I need to know if the IUs are correcting for the number five shutdown.
Houston, what's the story on engine five?
We're still go. We'll be all right as long as we don't lose another one.
- Roger that. - We're not sure why the inboard was out...
but the other engines are go, so we're gonna burn those engines...
a little bit longer.
Roger that. Our gimbals are good.
Our trim is good.
Looks like we just had our glitch for this mission.
13, stand by for staging. Roger that.
S- 2 shutdown. S-4B ignition.
Thrust looks good, Flight.
Flight, S-4B cut-off in 10 seconds.
13, this is Houston. Predicted cut-off is 12 plus 34, over.
Coming up on 12 minutes, 34.
And...
SECO!
Shutdown.
And that, gentlemen, is how we do that.
Oh, boy. Hope I can sleep.
Mom, that was loud.
Here, hold my hand.
I can't believe you did this four times.
The worst part's over.
It is?
Listen, this doesn't stop for me until he lands on that aircraft carrier.
Well, you just look so calm about it.
If the flight surgeon had to okay me for this mission, I'd be grounded.
Mrs. Haise! Can we speak to you?
Can we just have a word with you, please?
Remember, you're proud, happy, and thrilled.
How're you feeling? Very proud...
and very happy, and we're thrilled.
Flight, Booster. I show S-4B shutdown.
TLI is on the money. Looks good, Flight.
Roger, FIDO.
We're going to the moon!
We have reacquisition of signal at Hawaii.
Flight, everything looks good.
Okay, Houston. CMP here.
I've exchanged couches with Jim. I'm in the pilot's seat.
I'm gonna go ahead and get set for transposition and docking.
Roger that, Jack.
Freddo, you okay?
Everybody, let's get turned around and pick up the lunar module.
Odyssey, you're go for pyro arm and docking...
and we recommend you secure cabin pressurization.
Roger that.
Okay, we're ready for CSM separation.
Okay, SMRCS isol valves are all gray.
Okay, Swigert, command module pilot.
She's all yours.
Houston, we've got a good separation.
The S-4B is stable. Translation looks good.
Reconfirm then, 13. We're gonna start to pitch around...
to line up with the LEM.
You know, Freddo, Frank Borman...
was upchucking most of the way to the moon on Apollo 8.
I'm all right. I just ate too much breakfast. Let's go to work.
And pitching up.
Pitch rate, 2.5 degrees per second.
Roger, Jack.
We see you pitching around.
Keep an eye on that telemetry.
Roger that. If Swigert can't dock this thing, we don't have a mission.
- How's the alignment? - GDC align.
Thrusting forward.
One hundred feet.
Watch the alignment now.
Don't worry, guys.
I'm on top of it.
FIDO, let me know when you're ready.
Let's uplink that.
- How we looking? - We're not there yet. Forty feet.
Twenty.
Come on, rookie, park that thing.
Ten feet.
Capture.
That's it.
Talk back is barber pole. Go ahead and retract.
Houston, we have hard dock.
Roger, we understand. That's a good deal, Jack.
Let's start back up with procedure 17.
Houston, we have LEM extraction.
We copy that, 13.
Now you're off to the Fra Mauro Highlands.
- I gotta get out of this suit. - Houston, we are ready...
for the beginning of the PTC...
and I think once we're in that barbecue roll, Jack and I will eat.
- Hey, I'm hungry. - Are you sure?
I could eat the ass out of a dead rhinoceros.
- We got a smooth one? - By the numbers so far.
We just ran a minimum load test on the cooling system...
See you tomorrow. Take care.
DAY 3 APRIL 13
It's too bad we can't demonstrate this on TV.
What a shame.
Overboard dump coming up.
Here it comes...
the constellation Urion.
Now, that's a beautiful sight.
Barbara, we are going to your father's broadcast.
No! I'm never coming out!
I hate Paul! No one else can ever play their records again!
She's still going on about the stupid Beatles breaking up?
They're not stupid! You're stupid!
I know you're mourning.
I'm not going, Mom! Dad won't know if we're there!
The whole world is going to be watching this broadcast, and so are we.
Good evening, America...
and welcome aboard Apollo 13.
I'm Jim Lovell, and we're broadcasting to you tonight...
from an altitude of almost 200,000 miles...
away from the face of the Earth...
and we have a pretty good show in store for you tonight.
We are going to show you just what...
life is like for the three of us here...
in the vast expanse of outer space.
One of the first things we'd like to do...
is provide you with the appropriate background music.
So, hit it there, Freddo.