I would like to introduce the apollo 13 crew, captain james lovell, captain john swigert, and fred haise. I would like to start by saying i am not a superstitious person. Therefore, when we were assigned apollo 13, i thought nothing of it. Some said 13 was a lucky number and were happy i got that number. It started just before the flight, as was documented. As we were approaching the final phase of training, the last couple of days are usually taken very leisurely, keeping a couple of days free to unwind from the long Training Cycle and get rest so that when we launch, we are in good shape. As you know, a turn of events occurred and ken mattingly, our command module pilot, was exposed to the measles, and we had to make the decision to bring jack along. They asked what i wanted to do because we worked as a team for a long time, but i realized the Space Program had matured to that degree whereby we had quite a few people who were well knowledgeable about the spacecraft and well to fly. A
Thank you. I would like to start off the briefing by saying i am not a superstitious person. Therefore, when we were assigned apollo 13, i thought nothing of myas a matter of fact, so friends of italian descent said that 13 was a lucky number and they were happy i got that number. All of this started before the flight, as was well documented, as we are approaching the final phase of our training, the last couple of days are usually ones which are taken very leisurely, try to keep a couple of days free to let ourselves unwind for the training cycle, get plenty of rest so when we launch, we are in good shape and we can go with an easy mine. Easy mind. As you know, a turn of events occurred and ken mattingly, our command module pilot was exposed to the measles. At that time, we had to make a big decision of bring jack along or delay the flight. It was one that was not easy for me to help decide and when they asked me what i wanted to do, because we had worked as a team for a long time, bu
When you were a little kid. You saw a rocket go off and said i want to do that. Is it that simple or that complex . I was interested in rockets in astronomy long before people get spell rocket. I was interested in it way back in high school. I went to try to build some rockets. I wanted to become a rocket engineer, as a matter of fact. Worked at the rocket society. I wanted to become a rocket engineer but essentially they said you have to go to mit or to caltech. I cannot afford either. So i took a secondary goal. I got an rotc appointment to wisconsin. From there i went to the Naval Academy. I got to the flight training. I became a naval air aviator. In 1958, nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. I was one of the original 110 people who were selected. Let me go back to the Naval Academy . That is right. This was right after world war ii. I got down to preflight. My mother, when i was at the university of wisconsin, told me to apply to the Naval Academy. 7z3 vi did it,
We decided about two hours, about 79 hours, shortening the time to get home again. This was always going to be an automatic burn using the diesel propulsion engine and this burn was very successful. After that the ground was very concerned with power and we were, too. We decided to go into a power down mode, we turned off just about everything and i would like to have jack and fred to tell about our situation. And since no one made a lunar trip before we were looking the way out ways to determine how we could make these corrections moment. The angle of entry is very small. It has to be controlled closely. So at 105 hours they gave us instructions to relight the engine to or geient the spacecr in this manner. When they read up the procedure to us, i could not believe it. I never thought i would have to use something as way out as this. And here was was on apollo 8 using this same thing. It was completed on time and because it was a manual burn we had a three man operation. Jack would te
There i got into flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 1958 nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. So i was one of the original 110 people selected to go for interviews. Lets go back to your Naval Academy days, you almost didnt go, is that right . That is right. I had two years at wisconsin. I informs a Naval Aviation program after world war ii. Have been the most important project in this century. I became the first alternate that usually doesnt make it, are and i got orders for the physical to be inducted into the academy if you so desired. And then i said should i go to the academy, they said dont do that, you two years of college, you have Naval Aviation, if you go back you have to start all over again, you might not get back in aviation, but there was an old captain there and he said if you want to make the navy your career, get yourself to the academy, that is what hatppened. I term paper, my first term paper, i wrote on the development o