Preview

Apollo 13 Exploration Objective

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1031 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Apollo 13 Exploration Objective
The Apollo 13 exploration objective was to land in the Fra Mauro Area of the moon, but a sudden oxygen tank explosion prevented the spacecraft from landing, and facilitated changes to be made to the space program. To make interstellar travel believable NASA was created. The Apollo program was the idea that man could travel, walk upon, and see the moon. Apollo 13, the third human lunar landing and exploration mission, had been tentatively scheduled in July 1969 for launch in March 1970, but by the end of the year the launch date had been shifted to April. In August 1969 crew assignments for Apollo 13 were announced. The target for the mission was the Fra Mauro Formation, a site of major interest to scientists, …show more content…
Particles could easily be confused with stars, and the sole means of determining the spacecraft's attitude was by locating certain key stars in the onboard sextant. Navigational sightings from the lunar module (LM) were difficult in any case as long as it was attached to the command module. Flight controllers decided to align the lunar module's guidance system with that in the command module while the CM still had power. That done, the last fuel cell and all systems in the command module were shut down, and the crew moved into the lunar module. Their survival depended on this craft's oxygen and water supplies, guidance system, and descent propulsion engine (DPS). Normally all course corrections were made using the service propulsion system (SPS) on the service module, but flight controllers ruled out using it, partly because it required more electrical power than was available and partly because no one knew whether the service module had been structurally weakened by the explosion. If it had, an SPS burn might be dangerous. The DPS would have to serve in its …show more content…
It recommended that the oxygen tanks be modified to remove all combustible material from contact with oxygen and that all test procedures be thoroughly reviewed for adequacy. Apollo 13 was only a frightening near-miss, and because its cause was localized and comparatively easy to discover, it had fewer adverse effects on the program. Only the skill and dedication of hundreds of members of the often-celebrated "manned space flight team" saved it, however, and the accident served to remind NASA and the public that human flight in space, no matter how commonplace it seemed to the casual observer, was not a routine operation. Apollo 13 pivoted from a moon-bound landing unit o a crippled vessel. While the space flight stands today as a demonstration of NASA innovation saving lives. Shows the dangers of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Apollo 13: Flight vs. Hollywood On April 11, 1970, 1:13 p.m, Apollo 13 was launched at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Fred W. Haise, Jr. who would be the Lunar Module Pilot, James A. Lovell, Jr. who would be the Commander, and John L. Swigert, Jr. who would be the Command Module Pilot, and would replace Ken Mattingly, would be the crew for this operation. This would be the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo Space Program, and the third intended to land on the moon.…

    • 1523 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    People created this new rocket ship named Apollo 13. Apollo 13 was looking like the smoothest flight of the program. The crew was going to fly in in the solar system. After they took off oxygen tank number two blew up so the crew tried to fix it. They were about 200.000 miles away from earth they were lost. After that the rocket stop and was going so fast on earth they were lucky to land in the Pacific ocean near Samoa. In conclusion they survived and were ready to go…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There was more to the Apollo program than Neal Armstrong's one small step and more than following 5 lunar landings, anyone could have been a gigantic accomplishment. Apollo started with the Gemini Program also called a technological Warm-up. Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first 2 people on the moon, they landed the Apollo 11 in July 1969. They asked how much air Aldrin and Armstrong carried with them on their moonwalks. The Moon was not a primordial object, but was an evolved terrestrial planet with internal zoning. Apollo Program went for 9 years. Apollo 13 didn't land on the…

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apollo 13 Research Paper

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages

    During the Apollo 13 mission, the crew was faced with odds that were not in their favor. They were faced with many uncertainties that would possibly be fatal if they went wrong. It all started when a crew member stirred the o2 tanks, and the tanks burst. With this predicament, they could not possibly land on the moon. Mission Control or "Houston" had to come up with a flawless plan to get the U.S spacemen back to the Earth.…

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apollo 13 Failure

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Apollo 13 was an ordinary launch, but disaster was near. Things weren't even going well pre-launch, as one of the crew members had contracted german measles, so he was left behind and replaced. They launched, and everything seemed to being going smoothly. The astronauts held a 49 minute TV broadcast, but 9 minutes later, an explosion shook the craft. Oxygen tank two blew up, causing number one to fail. They say gas venting out of the side of the ship. Also, ⅔ of the power cells had failed, so everything noncritical was turned off. Because of the failures, they had to conserve water and watch carbon monoxide levels. There wasn't enough power to purify water, so it was estimated to run out 5 hours until earth re-entry. Carbon Monoxide was also a problem, as the filters were broken and the extra ones from the lander were not compatible with the cockpit. They fashioned an adapter with tape, cardboard and plastic bags. Eventually, they made it home safely. Apollo 13 was a disaster, but thanks to clever people at mission control and an atent crew, everyone made it home…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the early spring of 1986, The Challenger was scheduled to launch in the morning from the Kennedy Space Center. The Challenger had seven passengers. One of these passengers was a Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher from New Hampshire. She was the first ordinary citizen to be going to space. The social studies teacher had won the opportunity through NASA’s Teachers in space program. The spacecraft was in the air only seventy-three seconds before it exploded and broke apart into the ocean. Everyone was in shock. All the passengers were killed tragically. This put a horrible mark on NASA’s reputation. Some even wanted to close the exploration to space. American was in mourning and everyone felt the blow of the tragedy. However, President Ronald Reagan saw it fit to continue space exploration. He gave an argument and a tribute to America and the families of the lost passengers. His tribute swayed American to see the silver lining in the tragedy and understand why we must continue the journey to explore space.…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    America has always taken great pride in its successes and accomplishments in science and technology; its claim of superiority is indisputable and evident with the continuous scientific discoveries and constant advancement of electronic gadgets. However, according to Burton Diche, during the 1950s and 1960s, "the American space program had absorbed a series of high-profile embarrassments as the Soviet Union, with which the U.S. was competing in a so-called Space Race, seemed to remain one step ahead."1 Yet, instead of accepting defeats, America demonstrated its power to the Soviets and the world by the extraordinary triumph of the first moon landing in 1969. In order to fully appreciate the significance of the lunar landing of Apollo 11, one must review the history of the early U. S. space program, from its inception to the successful completion of the Apollo mission.…

    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apollo 13 was a success because they solved all of they're problems and they still made it back to earth. Their problems were oxygen, co2 infected air, power, and water. To fix the oxygen problem they used a second space craft called the L.E.M, that stands for Lunar Excursion Module, as a life boat so they used its water power and energy. The astronauts were supposed to use the L.E.M to land on the moon but they were stopped short by the faulty wiring in their…

    • 210 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In its two hundred and twenty eight years of existence, the country of America has seen many tragedies and failures. However, in the eyes if many, the worst of these tragedies was by far the Challenger disaster of 1986. On January 26, the world was shocked as everyone watched the Challenger shuttle explode, killing all seven crewmembers. The challenger disaster was by far one of the worst tragedies of the space exploration era. However, the disaster should not have occurred. In fact, it should have been prevented.…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    History is filled with stories of world changing triumphs and unlikely victories. But entangled with these tales of success is tragedy and loss. As humans push themselves to explore and discover more of what is out there, mistakes and disasters are inevitable. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, changed the views of women as aviators forever, and won many awards, as well as the recognition of the public eye. She set several other aviation records, only to tragically disappear during her attempt to fly around the world. The very first explorer to circumnavigate the world, Ferdinand Magellan, did not even survive the journey back home. But his trip was legendary and changed the worldview of his time. The deaths of these celebrated individuals are examples of how catastrophe often accompanies the advancement of humanity. On the January 28, 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded less than two minutes into flight, leading to the death of seven crew members. Ronald Reagan is clearly aware of the pattern of loss and exploration when he addresses the tragedy. The purpose of Reagan’s address is to express condolences for those lost, and to prompt citizens to…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apollo 13 Essay

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Apollo crew may have not been able to complete their original mission, but when they were faced with a serious problem the crew proved that they could handle it. The near disaster reminded everyone of the peril of space travel. They were successful in the sense that NASA was able to work through this effectively and save the lives of the three men that were brave enough to go on the mission…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apollo 11 still plays a big role in people’s lives. It shows people not to quit on things that are impossible. The whole world was saying that it was impossible to get a man on the moon and Apollo 1-10 proved that getting a man on the moon was possible but president JFK didn’t give up and he became the first president to get a person on the…

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Apollo missions were when the United states would try to send astronauts to the moon up in outer space. Known as the successful failure, the Apollo 13 mission was to be the third manned mission to the moon with James Lovelli as the commander, John Swigert as the command module pilot, and Fred Haise as Lunar Module pilot. Everything was going smoothly until john Swigert was asked to stir the Oxygen tanks by mission control. Do to faulty wiring in one of the tanks, when Swigert stirred the tank it exploded. After the explosion the crew lost a majority of power which took away the possibility of landing on the moon during the mission.…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The chosen men of Apollo 13 were to become the second group of men launched towards the moon. Their mission was clear: Get to the moon. Apollo 13 planned to land in the Fra Mauro Formation, an extensive geologic unit covering large portions of the moon. The men were to exit the spacecraft and perform numerous experiments for NASA. These experiments would give information on the composition of the moon's surface and its formation. Age dating would have been done when the samples returned to earth. This shows the age of the formations and provides an idea of where the moon falls on the geologic time scale. (Godwin, 63) Ken Mattingly, Jim Lovell, and Fred Haise were ready for their mission. This is what they had trained their whole lives for.…

    • 2672 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1969 the US safely successfully landed men on the moon. On the 21st of July, NASA sent three men into space to travel to the moon on what was called the ‘Apollo Moon Program’. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were aboard Apollo 11 when it landed on the moon. People worldwide were tuned in to watch the moment the men would step out onto the moon. Armstrong made history that day when he stepped out the shuttle onto the moon, famously saying, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays