How Did Lovell Build Apollo 13

When Lovell first applied to NASA, he was turned down due to a temporary liver condition. Fortunately for him, NASA selected him in his second application as an astronaut in September 1962. He immediately began training in NASA. He had test flight experience before he became an astronaut, meaning he was used to dealing with in-flight problems. This experience would come in handy on Apollo 13. Apollo 13 was the seventh mission in the American Apollo program and the third targeted to land on the moon. It would be Lovell’s fourth and final NASA operation, but his first time on the surface of the moon. The Apollo 13 mission was launched on April 10, 1970 and was programmed for ten days. It was commanded by Jim Lovell with John L. Swigert Jr. as the …show more content…
Luckily for Apollo 13, the spaceship was made up of two independent spaceships, Odyssey and Aquarius. Odyssey, where the problem occurred, had a healthy backup, Aquarius. Aquarius wasn’t supposed to be turned on until the spaceship was close to landing on the moon. It didn’t have a protective heat shield to survive the trip back to Earth, but it was the only solution to keep the crew alive long enough to get there. Then the astronauts would have to switch back to Odyssey for the rest of the trip to Earth. Lovell with fellow crewmembers, worked on conserving both water and electrical power in sufficient supply to assure their survival and safety while in space and for returning to Earth. Lovell piloted the spaceship around the moon and back home and Apollo 13 returned safely on April 17 1970. Jim Lovell completed his fourth mission as a Spacecraft Commander of the Apollo 13 flight; he became the first man to journey to the moon twice. Although the Apollo 13’s design problems may have left a mark on NASA’s reputation, it also stands as an example of how it solved a life-threatening problem in space with the help of their talented