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Photo: NASA Johnson Space Center / Public domain (US government work)
11 April 1970

Apollo 13

"Houston, we've had a problem"

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Apollo 13 lifted off for the Moon on 11 April 1970, and about 56 hours into the flight an oxygen tank in the service module ruptured. Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise used the lunar module Aquarius as a lifeboat, swung around the Moon and splashed down safely in the Pacific on 17 April.
2 video perspectives
- Apollo 13: How a Thermostat Error Led to the Oxygen Tank Blast
  
  Apollo 13 lifted off on April 11, 1970, and 55 hours and 53 minutes into the flight an oxygen tank exploded after Houston asked the crew to stir the tanks.
  
  Published 1 Nov 2026
- Apollo 13: The Dropped Tank and Switches Behind the Explosion
  
  Apollo 13 was meant to be the third Moon landing, but an oxygen tank exploded about 55 hours 54 minutes into the mission, and the crew used the lunar module Aquarius as a lifeboat.
  
  Published 1 Nov 2026
Photo: NASA / Public domain
Apollo 16

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1 video perspective
- Charlie Duke on Apollo 16: Launch, Landing Scare and Moonwalks
  
  Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke gave this keynote at the 2nd Annual Astro Awards on January 26, 2025, recalling his career, the Saturn V launch, a control-system problem that nearly…
  
  Published 29 Oct 2025