50 Years Ago This Week - Apollo 13

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It was this week 50 years ago when the world held its breath awaiting the news of the crew of Apollo 13. They were on their way to the Moon when there was an electrical fault in an oxygen tank which nearly destroyed the spacecraft and left the mission cruising towards its destination with insufficient oxygen and power to return to Earth.

NASA recounts the events here: 50 Years Ago: Apollo 13 Launch Date Reset

I can remember as a 9-year-old boy sitting in the cinema in East Kilbride when the film was interrupted by a slide displaying the simple message that the crew of Apollo 13 had splashed down safely in the Pacific. The whole cinema audience stood up and cheered and applauded. A magnificent example of rescuing success from utter disaster.


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