Photos: The 50th anniversary of the unforgettable Apollo 13 mission

The original astronauts

The original Apollo 13 astronauts, before Ken Mattingly was replaced by Jack Swigert. Jim Lovell (left), Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise.

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 Saturn V in the morning

Apollo 13 Saturn V during early-morning rollout on December 16, 1969. 

Image: NASA

Saturn V

Saturn V on the pad at dusk.

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell at the launch pad during training.

Image: NASA

Ken Mattingly

Ken Mattingly at the launch pad during training.

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 CSM

Apollo 13 CSM in Assembly and Test.

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 Training MESA

Apollo 13 Training MESA. View of the TV camera from the ladder side.

Image: NASA

Command module training

Jim Lovell (left), Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise climb into a command module during training.

Image: NASA

Jack Swigert

Jack Swigert prepares to enter the spacecraft during training in September 1969.

Image: NASA

Lunar landing training vehicle

View of the lunar landing training vehicle.

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 training in the Gulf of Mexico

Apollo 13 water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico in February 1970.

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell and his chest-mounted Hasselblad camera during EVA (extravehicular activity) training on February 3, 1970.

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell's 42nd birthday celebration

On March 25,1970, Jim Lovell celebrated his 42nd birthday before the Apollo 13 mission.

Image: NASA

Fred Haise

Fred Haise carries mock-ups of the ALSEP packages while in a harness attached to the arm of a large centrifuge. The harness is designed to reduce his apparent weight to one-sixth normal, giving a simulation of lunar conditions. Photo taken on January 19, 1970. 

Image: NASA

Geology traverse training

Fred Haise (left) and Jim Lovell during geology training.

Image: NASA

Fred Haise

Fred Haise

Image: NASA

Fred Haise

Fred Haise in a recovery raft during training.

Image: NASA

Fred Haise

Fred Haise in the centrifuge harness.

Image: NASA

Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Ken Mattingly

Fred Haise (left) Jim Lovell, and Ken Mattingly pose in front of the launch pad on April 6, 1970, the week before launch.

Image: NASA

The original Apollo 13 astronauts

Fred Haise (left), Jim Lovell, and Ken Mattingly board the transfer van after the successful completion of the Countdown Demonstration Test on March 26, 1970.

Image: NASA

The astronauts the day before launch

Fred Haise (left), Jack Swigert and Jim Lovell pose on the day before launch. Swigert had just replaced Ken Mattingly as CMP after Mattingly was exposed to German Measles. Photo taken on April 10, 1970.

Image: NASA

The Apollo 13 astronauts

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

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell during suit up on launch day on April 11, 1970.

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell getting a good luck wish

NASA captioned this one: Astronaut secretary Martha Caballero wishing Apollo 13 commander James A. Lovell, Jr. good luck. The photo was taken on April 11, 1970.

Image: NASA

Launch day

Jim Lovell leads Fred Haise and Jack Swigert to the transfer van on launch day.

Image: NASA

Launch day

To the transfer van on launch day. 

Image: NASA

To the transfer van

The Apollo 13 crew members make their way to the transfer van on launch day.

Image: NASA

The crew members

Crew members of the Apollo 13 mission.

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 launch

April 11, 1970

Apollo 13 launch

April 11, 1970

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 launch

April 11, 1970

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell in the Lunar Module, preparing it for jettison. 

Image: NASA

View of the moon from a window on the Lunar Module

How the moon looked to the astronauts aboard the Lunar Module. 

Image: NASA

View of Earth

View of Earth from Apollo 13.

Image: NASA

Mission Operations Control Room

A group of eight astronauts and flight controllers monitor the console activity in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of the Mission Control Center (MCC) during the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission. When this picture was made on April 13, 1970, the Apollo 13 moon landing had already been cancelled, and the Apollo 13 crewmen were in transearth trajectory attempting to bring their crippled spacecraft back home.

Image: NASA

Deke Slayton

Deke Slayton (in the checked jacket) shows the adapter devised to make use of square Command Module lithium hydroxide canisters to remove excess carbon dioxide from the Apollo 13 LM cabin. Taken on April 15, 1970.

Image: NASA

Famous device made from duct tape, maps and other materials

Inflight photo of the device constructed by the crew from duct tape, maps and other materials they had on hand as per instructions provided by Houston.

Image: NASA

Interior view of the Lunar Module

Interior view of the Apollo 13 Lunar Module during the journey back to Earth.

Image: NASA

Damaged Service Module

View of the severely damaged Service Module after separation.

Image: NASA

Top of Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius

View of the top of Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius after separation.

Image: NASA

Celebration at Mission Control

Mission Control in Houston celebrates the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew. Gene Kranz is smoking a celebratory cigar at the right while Deke Slayton, in front of the mission patch, shakes hands.  

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 splashdown

Apollo 13 splashdown.

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 recovery

Apollo 13 recovery operations.

Image: NASA

Recovering the crew

Jim Lovell (center) gestures in the recovery raft while a Navy diver positions the lift cage. Fred Haise is on the left side of the raft with Jack Swigert partly hidden beyond him.

Image: NASA

Iwo Jima

Rear Admiral Donald C. Davis (USN), Recovery Task Force Commander, welcomes Fred Haise (left), Jack Swigert, and Jim Lovell aboard the US Iwo Jima after their safe return on April 17, 1970.

Image: NASA

Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert

Fred Haise (left), Jim Lovell, and Jack Swigert emerge from the recovery helicopter on-board the aircraft carrier Iwo Jima on April 17, 1970.

Image: NASA

After landing.

On the Iwo Jima, after landing, Jim Lovell reads a newspaper account of the Apollo 13 recovery on April 17, 1970.

Image: NASA

Examining the command module

After landing, Jack Swigert (left) and Jim Lovell examine the Command Module aboard the Iwo Jima on April 17, 1970.

Image: NASA

command-module-divers

Navy divers pose with the Command Module before it is hoisted aboard the Iwo Jima.

Image: NASA

The Apollo 13 Command Module

The Apollo 13 Command Module after being hosted aboard the Iwo Jima on April 17, 1970.

Image: NASA

After landing, in Hawaii

Fred Haise (left), Jim Lovell, President Richard Nixon, and Jack Swigert at Hickham Air Force Base, Hawaii on April 18, 1970.

Image: NASA

Original artwork for Apollo 13 Insignia patch

Apollo 13 Insignia patch artwork.

Also see:

NASA's unsung heroes: The Apollo coders who put men on the moon (TechRepublic PDF)

A look into Chabot Observatory's critical role in bringing the Apollo 13 spacecraft home 50 years ago (TechRepublic)

How a NASA team of black women 'computers' sent an astronaut into orbit in 1962 (TechRepublic)

Photos: The computer programmers behind NASA's Apollo missions (TechRepublic)

Earth Day turns 50: NASA throws an online celebration (TechRepublic)

Apollo 13: Misconceptions and myths endure (TechRepublic)

Image: NASA