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Description: President Richard M. Nixon and the Apollo 13 crew salute U.S. flag during the post-mission ceremonies at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Earlier, the astronauts John Swigert, Jim Lovell and Fred W. Haise were presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the Chief Executive. Apollo 13, launched on April 11, 1970, was NASA's third manned mission to the moon. Two day later on April 13 while the mission was en route to the moon, a fault in the electrical system of one of the Service Module's oxygen tanks produced an explosion that caused both oxygen tanks to fail and also led to a loss of electrical power. The command module remained functional on its own batteries and oxygen tank, but these were usable only during the last hours of the mission. The crew shut down the Command Module and used the Lunar Module as a "lifeboat" during the return trip to earth. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, and a shortage of potable water, the crew returned to Earth, and the mission was termed a "successful failure."
NASA Media Usage Guidelines
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 327604main_s70-15526 _full
Date: April 17, 1970
The crew of the Apollo 13 mission step aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima, prime recovery ship for the mission, following splashdown and recovery operations in the South Pacific. Exiting the helicopter, which made the pick-up some four miles from the Iwo Jima are (from left) astronauts Fred. W. Haise, Jr., lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., commander; and John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot. The Apollo 13 spacecraft splashed down at 1:07:44 pm EST on April 17, 1970.
NASA Media Usage Guidelines
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 70-H-641
Date: April 17, 1970
Tags: Apollo 13 Fred Haise Iwo Jima James Lovell John Swigert Recovery
Description: Three of the four Apollo 13 Flight Directors applaud the successful splashdown of the Command Module "Odyssey" while Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), and Dr. Christopher C. Kraft Jr., MSC Deputy Director, light up cigars (upper left). The Flight Directors are from left to right: Gerald D. Griffin, Eugene F. Kranz and Glynn S. Lunney.
Apollo 13 crew members, astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., Commander; John L. Swigert Jr., Command Module pilot, and Fred W. Haise Jr., Lunar Module pilot, splashed down at 1:07:44 (EST) in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately four miles from the Apollo 13 prime recovery ship, the U.S.S. Iwo Jima.
NASA Media Usage Guidelines
Credit: NASA
Image Number: S70-35144
Date: April 17, 1970
Tags: NASA apollo apollo 13 mission control Eugene Kranz Gerald Griffin Glynn Lunney