Oct 31

Space Rocket History #276 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 3

According to the profiles Bill Peters and his electrical specialists calculated, it was possible to power the LEM with just 12 amps. Under normal conditions it needed about 55 amps of current to run.

View of the moon from Apollo 13

Alan Shepard commander of Apollo 14 monitors Apollo 13 MCC comm

Lovell & Swigert on Apollo 13

Oct 24

Space Rocket History #275 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 2

“The first burn, Griffin explained, would be a long one. Pushing the descent throttle all the way to the full position, Lovell would leave it there for more than six minutes before shutting the engine down.

This maneuver, which for simplicity’s sake Griffin called the superfast burn, would put the crew down in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday morning, just thirty-six hours from the scheduled PC+2 time later that night.”

Impromptu Apollo 13 meeting

Prayer service for astronauts

Oct 17

Space Rocket History #274 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 1

Electricity was in short supply. A fully functioning, up-and running LEM required about 55 amps of current to operate.

Ken Mattingly, Joe Kerwin

Tom Kelly Grumman Engineer

Kraft, McDivitt, Gilruth

Oct 10

Space Rocket History #273 – Apollo 13 – Free Return – Part 3

Lovell toggled the “master arm” switch to On and glanced around to see if everything else was in order. Guidance control was set to “Primary Guidance”; thrust control was on “Auto”; engine gimbals were enabled; the propellant quantity, temperature, and pressure looked good; the ship was maintaining the correct attitude.

John Aaron – Steely Eyed Missle Man

Glynn Lunney – Flight Director

Gerry Griffin – Flight Director