# Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat > Trace the oxygen-tank failure, the move into Aquarius, and the coordinated work that returned three astronauts safely to Earth. Canonical URL: https://aristotree.com/sam_r84/apollo-13-april-1970-turning-a-lander-into-a-lifeboat Language: en Creator: sam_r84 Last modified: 2026-10-08T08:11:25.866Z Concepts: 10 Relationships: 14 This is a public, user-curated knowledge graph. Follow the cited sources when verifying claims. ## Concepts ### Gene Kranz Eugene Francis Kranz is an American aerospace engineer who served as NASA's second Chief Flight Director, directing missions of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, including the first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Kranz - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Kranz?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Jim Lovell James Arthur Lovell Jr. was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and mechanical engineer. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Lovell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Lovell?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Ken Mattingly Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was an American aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, rear admiral in the United States Navy, and astronaut who orbited the Moon on Apollo 16 and flew on the STS-4 and STS-51-C missions. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Mattingly - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Mattingly?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat Trace the oxygen-tank failure, the move into Aquarius, and the coordinated work that returned three astronauts safely to Earth. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ - https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-13/ ### Jack Swigert John Leonard Swigert Jr. was an American NASA astronaut, test pilot, mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, United States Air Force pilot, and politician. In April 1970, as command module pilot of Apollo 13, he became one of 24 Apollo astronauts who reached the Moon. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Swigert - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Swigert?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Apollo Lunar Module The Apollo Lunar Module, originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lunar lander spacecraft that was flown between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface during the United States' Apollo program. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Module - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Module?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Fred Haise Fred Wallace Haise Jr. S. S. Air Force, and test pilot. He is one of the 24 Apollo astronauts to reach the Moon, having served as Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 13. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Haise - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Haise?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Saturn V The Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, had three stages, and was liquid-fueled. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Mission control center A mission control center is a facility that manages space flights, usually from the point of launch until landing or the end of the mission. It is part of the ground segment of spacecraft operations. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_control_center - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_control_center?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ### Apollo command and service module The Apollo command and service module (CSM) was one of two principal components of the United States Apollo spacecraft, used for the Apollo program, which landed 12 astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. Topics: history, historical episode Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_command_and_service_module - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_command_and_service_module?action=history - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ## Relationships - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Jim Lovell: Mission commander - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Jack Swigert: Command module pilot - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Fred Haise: Lunar module pilot - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Gene Kranz: Flight director - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Apollo Lunar Module: Emergency lifeboat - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Apollo command and service module: Damaged spacecraft - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Ken Mattingly: Ground support - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Saturn V: Launch vehicle - Apollo 13, April 1970: Turning a Lander into a Lifeboat — related_to → Mission control center: Coordinated recovery - Jim Lovell — related_to → Apollo Lunar Module: Sheltered in lander - Jack Swigert — related_to → Apollo command and service module: Piloted command module - Fred Haise — related_to → Apollo Lunar Module: Lunar module pilot - Gene Kranz — related_to → Mission control center: Directed flight control - Ken Mattingly — related_to → Mission control center: Supported rescue planning