Movies Like Apollo 13

Frequently asked about Apollo 13

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• What actually caused the explosion that crippled Apollo 13?▾

  Mission Control asks the crew to 'stir' the oxygen tanks, a routine procedure. When Jack Swigert flips the switch, damaged wiring inside oxygen tank 2 sparks and ignites, rupturing the tank and venting the spacecraft's oxygen and power supply into space. This is what triggers Jim Lovell's famous line, 'Houston, we have a problem,' and forces the crew to abandon the moon landing.

• Why was Ken Mattingly replaced on the crew, and why does he end up being so important?▾

  Days before launch, flight surgeons ground Mattingly because he was exposed to German measles and has no immunity, so Jack Swigert takes his seat. Mattingly becomes crucial later because, having trained extensively in the command module simulator, he's the only one who can work out a power-up sequence that fits within the spacecraft's tiny remaining electrical budget. His procedure is what allows Odyssey to be revived for reentry.

• Why do the astronauts move into the Lunar Module instead of staying in the Command Module?▾

  The explosion destroys the Command Module Odyssey's oxygen and power, so it has to be shut down to preserve its batteries for reentry. The Lunar Module Aquarius, designed to support two men for about two days on the moon, is repurposed as a 'lifeboat' to keep all three astronauts alive for roughly four days as they loop around the moon and coast back to Earth.

• What is the 'square peg in a round hole' scene actually about?▾

  Because three men are breathing in a module built for two, carbon dioxide levels start rising to lethal levels. The square CO2 scrubbers from the Command Module won't fit the round receptacles in the Lunar Module, so engineers on the ground have to invent a filter adapter using only items the crew has on board, like a flight manual cover, plastic bags, hoses and duct tape. The crew then builds the contraption in space following Houston's instructions.

• Why is the long radio silence during reentry so tense at the end?▾

  All returning spacecraft go through a communications blackout when superheated plasma surrounds the capsule during reentry, typically about three minutes. Apollo 13's blackout runs noticeably longer than expected, leading Mission Control to fear that the heat shield, possibly damaged by the explosion, has failed and the capsule has burned up. When Odyssey's voice finally comes through and the parachutes appear, it confirms the mission has become NASA's 'successful failure'.