1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello, I'm Eves and Welcome to This Day 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: in History class of podcasts that proves no day is 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: a slow day in history. Today It's April. The day 5 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: was April fifteen, nineteen seventy. The crew of Apollo thirteen 6 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: set a world record for the farthest humans have ever 7 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: been from the surface of the Earth. Apollo thirteen was 8 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: the seventh crude mission in the Apollo space program. The 9 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: first crude mission to the Moon was Apollo eight, which 10 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: was in flight from December twenty one to December nineteen. 11 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: Apollo eight orbited the Moon and was crewed by Bill Anders, 12 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell. In July of the next year, 13 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: Apollo eleven became the first mission to land on the Moon. 14 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: Just four months later, Apollo twelve also landed on the Moon. 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: Apollo thirteen was supposed to be the third Apollo mission 16 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: to land on the Moon. It launched on April eleventh, 17 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy, from the Kennedy Space Center. Jim Level was 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: the commander, John Swigert Jr. Was the Command module pilot, 19 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: and Fred Hayes Jr. Was the lunar module pilot. The 20 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: plan was for them to explore the Frau Moro region 21 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: of the Moon, but a couple of days into the mission, 22 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: when Apollo thirteen was two hundred thousand miles away from Earth, 23 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: the activation of a fan and one of the service 24 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: modules to oxygen tanks caused a short circuit and an 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: explosion in the tank. The other tank was damaged. Just 26 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: seconds after the explosion, Swigert reported, Okay, Houston, we've had 27 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: a problem here with level repeating Houston, we've had a problem. 28 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: When prompted pressure in the damaged oxygen tank d out 29 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: to zero, Odyssey, the spacecraft's command and service module was 30 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: leaking oxygen. The accident also knocked out two of the 31 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: service modules three fuel sales. The fuel sales were vital 32 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: and generating electrical power and providing drinking water and oxygen 33 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: for breathing, but the fuel cells needed oxygen to operate. 34 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: The crew needed to preserve consumables like electricity and oxygen 35 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: so they could have a successful reentry and splash down 36 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: when the mission was over, so they moved to the 37 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: lunar module, known as Aquarius. The lunar module was designed 38 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: to support only two people for two days, but in 39 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: this instance it would have to support three people for 40 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: four days. Swigger shut down Odyssey to conserve power for 41 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: the end of the mission, while Haze and Level worked 42 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: to boot up Aquarius, which would be used as a lifeboat. 43 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: The lunar landing was canceled, and the goal now was 44 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 1: looping around the Moon and getting the crew safely back 45 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: to Earth. Because power had to be preserved on Aquarius 46 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: as well, the crew drank little water and ration power. 47 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: Cabin temperatures dropped to just above freezing. Even though the 48 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: mission would not land on the Moon, the crew still 49 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: set a world record on Apollo thirteen. On April fifteen, 50 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: the crew reached the far side of the Moon at 51 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: one and fifty eight miles or two hundred and fifty 52 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: four kilometers above the lunar surface. That put them at 53 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: about two hundred and forty nine thousand miles away from 54 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: Earth's surface. On April seventeen, the command module was powered 55 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: up again and the service module was jettisoned. An hour 56 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: before re entry, the lunar module was also jettisoned. The 57 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: crew soon landed in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa. Several 58 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: months after the mission, NASA announced that Apollo spacecraft would 59 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: be changed to quote enhanced their potential use in an 60 00:03:55,040 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: emergency mode. Later Apollo service modules included additional emergency outtery 61 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: power and a third oxygen tank. I'm Eve Jeff Cote, 62 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 63 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. If you want to send us 64 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: a note or leave a comment, or give us any 65 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: suggestions for future episodes, you can do so on social 66 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: media at t d i HC Podcast. You can also 67 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 1: send us that note via email at this Day at 68 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: iHeart media dot com. Thanks again for listening to the 69 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: podcast and we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from 70 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 71 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.