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Innovation

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

By Teena Maddox April 17, 2020, 3:01 PM PDT

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

Apollo 13 Saturn V

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 Saturn V

A view of Apollo 13 Saturn V at sunset on the day before launch. The Apollo 13 mission launched on April 11, 1970, and 2020 marks its 50th anniversary. The Apollo 13 mission ended on April 17, 1970, with all crew members safely aboard the USS Iwo Jima recovery ship. 

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

The original astronauts

Image: NASA

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

Apollo 13 Saturn V in the morning

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 Saturn V in the morning

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

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

Saturn V

Image: NASA

Saturn V

Saturn V on the pad at dusk.

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

Ken Mattingly

Image: NASA

Ken Mattingly

Ken Mattingly at the launch pad during training.

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

Apollo 13 CSM

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 CSM

Apollo 13 CSM in Assembly and Test.

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

Apollo 13 Training MESA

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 Training MESA

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

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

Command module training

Image: NASA

Command module training

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

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

Jack Swigert

Image: NASA

Jack Swigert

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

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

Lunar landing training vehicle

Image: NASA

Lunar landing training vehicle

View of the lunar landing training vehicle.

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

Apollo 13 training in the Gulf of Mexico

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

Jim Lovell

Image: NASA

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell

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

Jim Lovell's 42nd birthday celebration

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

Fred Haise

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

Geology traverse training

Image: NASA

Geology traverse training

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

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

Fred Haise

Image: NASA

Fred Haise

Fred Haise in the centrifuge harness.

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

Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Ken Mattingly

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

The original Apollo 13 astronauts

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

The astronauts the day before launch

Fred Haise (left), Jack Swigert and Jim Lovell on April 10, 1970, the day before the Apollo 13 launch.

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.

Fred Haise (left), Jack Swigert and Jim Lovell on April 10, 1970, the day before the Apollo 13 launch.

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

The Apollo 13 astronauts

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

Jim Lovell getting a good luck wish

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

Launch day

Image: NASA

Launch day

To the transfer van on launch day. 

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

To the transfer van

Image: NASA

To the transfer van

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

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

The crew members

Image: NASA

The crew members

Crew members of the Apollo 13 mission.

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

Apollo 13 launch

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 launch

April 11, 1970

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

Apollo 13 launch

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 launch

April 11, 1970

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

View of the moon from a window on the Lunar Module

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

View of Earth

Image: NASA

View of Earth

View of Earth from Apollo 13.

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

Mission Operations Control Room

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

Deke Slayton

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

Famous device made from duct tape, maps and other materials

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

Interior view of the Lunar Module

Image: NASA

Interior view of the Lunar Module

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

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

Damaged Service Module

Image: NASA

Damaged Service Module

View of the severely damaged Service Module after separation.

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

Top of Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius

Image: NASA

Top of Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius

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

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

Celebration at Mission Control

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

Apollo 13 splashdown

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 splashdown

Apollo 13 splashdown.

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

Apollo 13 recovery

Image: NASA

Apollo 13 recovery

Apollo 13 recovery operations.

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

Recovering the crew

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

Iwo Jima

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

Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert

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

After landing.

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

Examining the command module

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

command-module-divers

Image: NASA

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

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

The Apollo 13 Command Module

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

After landing, in Hawaii

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

Original artwork for Apollo 13 Insignia patch

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
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By Teena Maddox
Teena Maddox is a VP at Brodeur Partners. She is a former Associate Managing Editor at TechRepublic. Teena's lifelong journalism career has included writing on staff for publications including People magazine, W magazine and Women's Wear Daily.
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