Page 69 - The Appollo Story

~----------.The Apollo Story

Apollo 13 (AS-508) We've Had A Problem
Haise was in the LM, Aquarius, with Lovell tidying up the camera and wires midway, while Swigert went
about some routine business in the CM, Odyssey. As the backup CM pilot he had only joined the crew a
couple of days before lift-off because Thomas Mattingly had been exposed to German measles,
When an amber light indicated low pressure in a tank located in the cylindrical service module (SM),
Mission Control called him up. 'We'd like you to stir up your cryo tanks.' The liquid hydrogen and oxy-
gen tanks were fitted with fans to prevent stratification in zero gravity conditions, but moments after
Swigert threw the switches the spacecraft was shaken by a bang. 'Ok, Houston we've had a problem.'

APOLLO 13
SPACE
EXPLosibN ....

EXPLOSION IN SPACE
Apollo 13 while on route to the
Moon has major disaster Oxygen
tanks in main spacecraft rupture
at 10:08 P.M. April 13, 1970.
C. SARZIN
PORT WASHINGTON
L.I., NEW YORK l 1050