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View of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center tower at sunset

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Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.

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Command Module, Apollo 13

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Apollo 13, the third scheduled manned lunar landing, was launched on April 11, 1970, from Kennedy Space Center. The crewmembers were Commander James Lovell, Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise, and Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert. Swigert had replaced Tom Mattingly just 72 hours before launch when it was discovered that Mattingly had been exposed to German measles and was not immune. As the astronauts were about 80,000 km from the moon, an explosion occurred in the Service Module of Command Module 109, "Odyssey". The electrical power and water in "Odyssey" was lost, so the lunar landing was aborted. "Odyssey" was powered down and the three men moved into the two-man lunar module, "Aquarius". There they conserved food and fuel during the trip around the moon and back to Earth. The Lunar Module descent engine was used to place the spacecraft on a landing trajectory and to speed up the return. Just before re-entry, the astronauts returned to the Command Module and jettisoned the crippled Service Module. Then they jettisoned "Aquarius", which was not designed for atmospheric re-entry, and safely landed in the Pacific Ocean on April 17.

Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.

Video

    Video

    Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen Flight Jacket Night featuring Fred Haise

    Video

    Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen Flight Jacket Night featuring Fred Haise

    Object Details

    Country of Origin

    United States of America

    Type

    SPACECRAFT-Crewed

    Astronaut

    Fred W. Haise Jr.
    James A. Lovell Jr.
    John L. Swigert Jr.

    Manufacturer

    North American Rockwell

    Dimensions

    Overall: 10 ft. 7 in. tall x 12 ft. 10 in. diameter, 7800 lb. (322.58 x 391.16cm, 3538.1kg)

    Materials

    Aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and titanium structures. Outer shell - stainless steel honeycomb between stainless steel sheets. Crew compartment inner shell - aluminum honeycomb between aluminum alloy sheets.
    Epoxy-resin ablative heat shield covers outside.

    Inventory Number

    A19740651000

    Credit Line

    Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Data Source

    National Air and Space Museum

    Restrictions & Rights

    Usage conditions apply
    For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use.

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    National Air and Space Museum

    6th St. and Independence Ave SW
    Washington, DC 20560

    202-633-2214

    Open daily
    10:00 am - 5:30 pm
    Free Timed-Entry Passes
    Required

    Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

    14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
    Chantilly, VA 20151

    703-572-4118

    Open daily
    10:00 am - 5:30 pm
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