Descent to Fra Mauro
This North American Rockwell artist's concept depicts the Apollo 13 Lunar Module (LM) descending to the Fra Mauro landing site as the Command and Service Module (CSM) remains in lunar orbit. Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, the command module pilot, was to photograph the LM's descent from the CSM. For what was to be NASA's third lunar landing mission, astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., commander, and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, were to descend in the LM to explore the Moon.
Mattingly was bumped from the crew three days before launch after being exposed to German measles, with backup command module pilot John "Jack" Swigert taking his place.
Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, with little fanfare. But two days into the mission, an oxygen tank onboard exploded, transforming Apollo 13 into a tense rescue mission that hinged on the ingenuity and grit of the crew, mission control, and NASA engineers.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: S70-31898
Date: March 20, 1970
Descent to Fra Mauro
This North American Rockwell artist's concept depicts the Apollo 13 Lunar Module (LM) descending to the Fra Mauro landing site as the Command and Service Module (CSM) remains in lunar orbit. Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, the command module pilot, was to photograph the LM's descent from the CSM. For what was to be NASA's third lunar landing mission, astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., commander, and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, were to descend in the LM to explore the Moon.
Mattingly was bumped from the crew three days before launch after being exposed to German measles, with backup command module pilot John "Jack" Swigert taking his place.
Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, with little fanfare. But two days into the mission, an oxygen tank onboard exploded, transforming Apollo 13 into a tense rescue mission that hinged on the ingenuity and grit of the crew, mission control, and NASA engineers.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: S70-31898
Date: March 20, 1970