The history of early space exploration.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Space Rocket History #269 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 4
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
EECOM, Sy Liebergot looked away from his monitor; the end, he knew, was at last here. Liebergot, through no fault of his own, was about to become the first flight controller in the history of the manned space program to lose the ship that had been placed in his charge.
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Space Rocket History #268 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 3
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
As near as Lovell could tell, it would be a while before the ship’s endgame would play out. He had no way of calculating the leak rate in the tank, but if the moving needle was any indication, he had a couple hours at least before the 318 pounds of oxygen were gone.
Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Sunday Sep 29, 2024
By the time Flight Director Kranz heard Lovell’s report, of “Houston, we’ve had a problem. ” three controllers had reported related problems. Kranz was wondering which problem Lovell was reporting, as he started relaying the long list of warning indications from the spacecraft displays.
Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Swigert: I believe we’ve had a problem here!
CapComm: This is Houston. Say again, please.
Lovell: Houston, we’ve had a problem.
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
Space Rocket History #265 – Apollo 13 – Translunar Coast – The Calm Before the Storm
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
As Lovell prepared for the thruster adjustments, Haise finished closing down the LEM and drifted through the tunnel back toward the command module and Swigert threw the switch to stir all 4 cryogenic tanks.
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
Milt Windier’s team at mission control quickly reviewed the status of the remaining four engines, ran the computations for the new engine cutoff times, and passed them to the crew.
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Space Rocket History #263 – Apollo 13 – The Launch
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
During the Apollo era, North American-Downey built the Apollo Command & Service Module. After each completed spacecraft, Nasa conducted formal reviews of the build paper work before each vehicle was accepted for flight.
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Space Rocket History #262 – Apollo 13 – Commander Jim Lovell
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Lovell completed four space flights and is one of only three men to travel to the Moon twice. Lovell accrued over 715 hours spent in space, and he saw a total of 269 sunrises from space on his Gemini and Apollo flights.
Friday Jun 28, 2024
Space Rocket History #261 – Apollo 13 – Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise
Friday Jun 28, 2024
Friday Jun 28, 2024
At thirty-six, Haise was the youngest member of the crew of Apollo 13, and his black hair and angular features made him seem younger still.
Friday Jun 28, 2024
Space Rocket History #260 – Apollo 13 – Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert
Friday Jun 28, 2024
Friday Jun 28, 2024
John Leonard Swigert Jr. aka Jack Swigert was born on August 30, 1931 in Denver, Colorado to parents John Leonard Sr. and Virginia Swigert.