'Ah, Houston we've had a problem:' Re-living Apollo 13's ill-fated journey to the moon

It has been over 50 years since the Apollo 13 mission to the moon captivated millions of people around the globe; watching, waiting and praying for the three souls aboard to return home alive and well.

What started out as just another mission to the moon, Apollo 13 ended up becoming one of the most well-known missions in spaceflight history and is often referred to as a "successful failure."

Fred Haise (left), Jack Swigert, and Jim Lovell pose on the day before launch. Photo dated 10 April 1970. (NASA)

On the afternoon of April 11, 1970, at 2:13 p.m. EST, commander Jim Lovell, lunar module pilot Fred Haise and command module pilot Jack Swigert lifted off on what was intended to be the third manned mission to the surface of the moon.

Meteorologists kept a close eye on the weather leading up to launch after Apollo 12 was struck by lightning 36 seconds into the flight. Fortunately, the bolt of lightning did not cause any serious issues and that mission was carried out successfully.

"Our weather is no constraint to launch today," a public affairs officer announced less than three minutes before the liftoff of Apollo 13. "Earlier fears about the weather seem to have dissipated. A stationary front over the Florida-Georgia border has not sent down the predicted bad weather that we had feared."

The mighty Saturn V rocket roaring to life, marking the start of the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. (NASA)

The launch did not go quite as intended, but it was still successful and set the astronauts on their way toward the moon.

"During second stage boost the center engine of the S-II stage cut off 132 seconds early, causing the remaining four engines to burn 34 seconds longer than normal," NASA explained.

Despite this malfunction, the spacecraft ended up very close to the intended orbit and it did not result in any issues later in the flight.

After the early-flight hiccup, everything else during the flight seemed to be going according to plan until the night of April 13. Shortly after 10 p.m. EST, after the conclusion of a television broadcast, the crew was instructed to carry out a few standard procedures.

"13, we've got one more item for you, when you get a chance. We'd like you to stir up your cryo tanks," capsule communicator Jack Lousma said over the radio.

Less than a minute later, one of the most well-known quotes in spaceflight history was transmitted back down to Earth.

"Ah, Houston, we've had a problem," Lovell said.

Alarms started sounding as the ground and flight crews scrambled to figure out what happened. At this point, the astronauts were nearly 180,000 nautical miles from Earth.

The Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center at the Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center), Houston, was taken on April 13, 1970, during the fourth television transmission from the Apollo 13 mission. Gene F. Kranz (foreground, back to camera), one of four Apollo 13 flight directors, views the large screen at front as astronaut Fred Haise, Lunar Module pilot, is seen on the screen. (NASA)

Almost 15 minutes after the malfunction, Lovell glanced out the window and made a shocking discovery.

"Looking out the hatch, that we are venting something. We are venting something out into the- into space," Lovell said.

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As the ground teams worked to determine what could have caused a leak into space and what steps should be taken next, flight director Gene Kranz came across the telecom to deliver an important message in a calm and collected tone.

"Okay now, let's everybody keep cool, we got the LM [lunar module] still attached, the LM spacecraft's good so if we need, uh, to get back home we've got a LM to do a good portion of it with [that]," Kranz said. "Let's solve the problem, but let's not make it any worse by guessing."

Flight director Gene Krantz on April 13, 1970, after the explosion occurred on Apollo 13. (NASA)

"With the oxygen stores depleted, the command module was unusable, the mission had to be aborted, and the crew transferred to the lunar module and powered down the command module," NASA said.

The lunar module, the part of the spacecraft that was designed to land on the moon, was transformed into a "lifeboat" for the three astronauts. This posed a new host of issues as it was designed to sustain two astronauts on the moon for two days and not for three astronauts to live in for nearly twice that time.

After investigations by NASA, the root of the malfunction was traced back to the Teflon insulation used on wires inside one of the spacecraft's oxygen tanks. It was discovered that the insulation was damaged during pre-flight tests which ultimately led to the catastrophic failure two days into the flight.

"Technicians at the pad decided to use ... heaters to boil off the remaining oxygen in the tank and it is said that one particular technician was tasked to monitor a gauge and ensure it didn't rise above a reading of 80°F, this being despite the fact that 80°F was the highest reading the gauge could display," NASA explained. "For eight hours, the tank's innards baked. A second test of the tank three days later repeated the mistake."

During the flight, when the oxygen tank was stirred, the damage to the insulation led to a short-circuit, sparking an explosion in the oxygen-rich environment. The force of the explosion was "equivalent to about 7 pounds of TNT" which blew off the outer skin of the service module and sent the spacecraft into a spin.

In a technical debriefing after the flight, Lovell recalled, "There was a dull but definite bang - not much of a vibration, though. I didn't think there was much vibration - just a noise."

"I felt just a slight shudder," Haise added.

The crew of Apollo 13 continued their journey to the moon in their lunar module lifeboat, but instead of orbiting around the moon as they would for a moon landing, they made one pass behind the moon and then immediately started their journey back to the Earth.

As the flight wore on, it became increasingly colder in the spacecraft as the astronauts attempted to conserve energy for the final leg of the journey home. The lack of sleep was also taking a toll on the astronauts and they battled exhaustion.

However, one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the cramped quarters of the lunar module was the limited functionality of the life support systems.

The lunar module was outfitted with circular canisters used to scrub carbon dioxide from the air, while the crippled command module was outfitted with square canisters for the same purpose. As the carbon dioxide levels in the lunar module started to climb toward dangerous levels, they had to figure out how to fit a square peg in a round hole.

The innovative minds at NASA worked the problem and found a solution, requiring the use of duct tape and spare parts available in the spacecraft.

The finished CO2 adapter. The various taping patterns are clearly visible. (NASA)

As the journey home neared its end, it was time for the crew to detach from the service module where the explosion had occurred days earlier. This was the first opportunity for the crew to see the damage.

"Right by the - Look out there, will you? Right by the high gain antenna, the whole panel is blown out, almost from the base to the engine," Lovell said.

The crew was able to take photos of the damage that were later used by NASA to figure out what exactly happened on Apollo 13's trip to the moon.

A photo of the damage on the Apollo 13 command module taken shortly before the astronauts entered Earth's atmosphere. (NASA)

On April 17, nearly 90 hours after Lovell transmitted the famous phrase "Ah, Houston, we've had a problem," Apollo 13 safely splashed down in the southern Pacific Ocean.

Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert being lifted up to a helicopter after spashing down in the Pacific Ocean. (NASA)

The intended splashdown location of Apollo 13 was moved due to a tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean. The weather conditions at the new splashdown site were much more favorable with a mix of clouds and sun but waves up to six feet tall.

President Richard Nixon met the crew in Hawaii where he presented Lovell, Swigert and Haise the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for a civilian in the United States.

Apollo 13 flight controllers celebrating after the three astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean. (NASA)

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