Decision Making In Apollo 13

In the film Apollo 13, while in orbit awaiting to do a lunar landing, they were doing some diagnostics and a oxygen tank exploded and Flight Commander Gene Kranz had to make some major decisions to ensure the crew would be able to return to Earth safely. As any effective manager would, Kranz using knowledge and information from his team of experts to assess the severity of the situation, demonstrating the first step of decision making. With the information he has, he acknowledges that a major problem has befallen the mission, and the only option at that point was to shut down the valves, meaning the possibility of a lunar landing was now impossible. The mission is now figuring out how to return the spacecraft and crew home safely and alive. The next step in decision making is listing the alternatives they have now considering the circumstances, again assembling the entire …show more content…
A key factor in effective management is delegating duties to the people who do the task best, which Kranz does effectively. This goes hand in hand with the next step, evaluating the options and determining the best and most efficient course of action to accomplish the mission. After evaluation, a decision has to be made as to which course of action to take, utilizing the team and getting them all together in one room in a brainstorming session exploring all the possibilities. Spacecraft are very complicated and space exploration is a precise science, so it is vital that all the avenues are explored and no rock left unturned. This situation is extremely stressful, the decision is made to attempt using the lunar