Astronauts Mark Anniversary of Apollo 13 Drama 13 April 2010, by MICHAEL TARM , Associated Press Writer

Astronauts mark anniversary of Apollo 13 drama 13 April 2010, By MICHAEL TARM , Associated Press Writer

On April 13, 1970, an oxygen tank exploded as the spaceship was four-fifths of the way to the moon. The crew, which included Jack Swigert, who died in 1982, was forced to scrap the moon mission and focus solely on getting back to Earth alive.

Lovell's calm if unsettling words to Mission Control following the explosion that, "Houston, we've had a problem" - now widely recited as, "Houston, we have a problem" - belied his quick internal calculation that their chances of survival were slim.

Apollo 13 crew member Commander James A. Lovell, "But you don't put that in your mind," he said Jr. poses with his space suit during a 40th Anniversary Monday. "You don't say how slim they are but reunion of the moon mission at the Adler Planetarium rather how you can improve the odds." Monday, April 12, 2010, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty) In Houston, Kranz led hundreds of flight controllers and engineers in a furious rescue plan. He insisted on Monday that he never allowed himself to believe that the plan could fail. (AP) -- Surviving Apollo 13 astronauts and several flight directors reunited on Monday to remember a Still, he quickly added, "there is some point when failed moon mission 40 years ago this week that you do the best you can and then it's up to a higher they managed to turn into one of the greatest authority to steer this mission to its ultimate triumphs in the history of space exploration. conclusion."

Those who gathered included Apollo 13 The plan involved the crew members moving from commander James Lovell, fellow crew member the service module, which was hemorrhaging Fred Haise and NASA's legendary flight director, oxygen, into the cramped, frigid lunar lander while Gene Kranz - all three of whom were immortalized they rationed their dwindling oxygen and electricity. in the 1995 movie "Apollo 13," which starred Tom Using the lunar module as a lifeboat, they swung Hanks as Lovell. around the moon and aimed for Earth.

"There's truly a unique bond. There is a In the process of turning what seemed routine into brotherhood," Kranz said about how the crisis a life-and-death struggle, the entire flight team had forged a lifelong bond between everyone involved. created one of NASA's finest moments, ranking with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's walks on the The Adler Planetarium, where the reunion took moon. place, is holding a series of events this month commemorating the Apollo 13 flight. One exhibit In 1994, Lovell and Jeff Kluger wrote "Lost Moon," includes a lunar helmet and gloves that Lovell was the story of the Apollo 13 mission and the basis for supposed to wear on the moon had the mission the movie. The movie, Lovell and Kranz concede, gone as planned. helped renew the public's interest in Apollo 13 at a time when it had started to fade.

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Kranz, who was played by actor Ed Harris in the movie, said Hollywood provided a largely accurate account of what happened. The one thing he took issue with was his character sometimes raising his voice in the control room.

"The fact is, controllers very seldom raise their voices, not in that control room," he said. "If you lose your temper, people recognize it and they start (thinking) that you are closer to the edge then you really are."

More information: Adler Planetarium: http://www.adlerplanetarium.org

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