Failure on Apollo 13
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the moment during the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon when there was an explosion that badly damaged the service module of the Apollo spacecraft, forcing the crew to use its Lunar Module (LM) as a lifeboat in order to get back to Earth.
Below is CBS’s coverage of that moment.
Because this video was recorded off of an analog television, the visuals are poor, to say the least, including several moments when the television loses vertical hold (a problem typical of early televisions).
However, it is very instructive to watch it, mostly to see the differences from today. Notice how calm everyone is, both at NASA and at CBS. Notice also how positive they are. Rather than hyping the possibility of death and failure, Cronkite is focused on explaining what the engineers are trying to do to save the astronauts.
And notice the detail and accuracy of his reporting. Cronkite has not only made it a point to educate himself on what is involved, he is making a concerted effort to provide this information to his audience. No speculations and opinions, only detailed reporting.
O if only we could see one tenth of such reporting on television today. The country’s mood would instantly improve a million percent.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the moment during the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon when there was an explosion that badly damaged the service module of the Apollo spacecraft, forcing the crew to use its Lunar Module (LM) as a lifeboat in order to get back to Earth.
Below is CBS’s coverage of that moment.
Because this video was recorded off of an analog television, the visuals are poor, to say the least, including several moments when the television loses vertical hold (a problem typical of early televisions).
However, it is very instructive to watch it, mostly to see the differences from today. Notice how calm everyone is, both at NASA and at CBS. Notice also how positive they are. Rather than hyping the possibility of death and failure, Cronkite is focused on explaining what the engineers are trying to do to save the astronauts.
And notice the detail and accuracy of his reporting. Cronkite has not only made it a point to educate himself on what is involved, he is making a concerted effort to provide this information to his audience. No speculations and opinions, only detailed reporting.
O if only we could see one tenth of such reporting on television today. The country’s mood would instantly improve a million percent.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Scott Manley has a nice break down about the failure from the hardware side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO19LTJZM6c
The media and the Democrat party then were not singularly focused on seizing control of our Lives 50 years ago as they are now,
God Bless Walter Cronkite.
The most trustworthy commentator I have ever known.
In relation to Apollo 13,
Check out BBC’s “13 Minutes To The Moon”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2
To: sippin_bourbon,
Thank you, that’s an Excellent presentation.
Garry / Roland–
Cronkite, was less than trustworthy…..
“Walter Cronkite speech in defense of liberalism, days after ’88 election.”
11/17/1988
https://youtu.be/eybGwtjW3ro
9:53
Referencing the BBC and Apollo 13—-
APOLLO 13
BBC’s TV original reentry & splashdown footage – part 2 of 5
https://youtu.be/Xiw38xF4fq0
8:03
Live April 17th 1970 / Present at studio: Geoffery Pardoe, Neil Armstrong, Patrick Moore, Cliff Michelmore, James Buke.
(watch all 5 parts)
–99% of all BBC video coverage of the entire Apollo program, was wiped clean in the early 1970’s and the tape re-used—
Gary–
excuse the typo of your name.
“James Burke: The other side of the moon”
BBC 1979
https://youtu.be/puWbQ1b-ljU
57:19
50 years ago news organizations prided themselves on accuracy and were relatively free of the financial drivers that cloud their decision making today. News was a one hour each evening event and not a financial cornucopia.
“Philo Farnsworth: the most famous man you never heard of…”
Jessica Farnsworth (great grand-daughter of Philo)
2013
https://youtu.be/HHy04aN0jfI
10:14
Here is a real-time recording of mission control during the Apollo-13 crisis. The Flight Director was tapped into all sections simultaneously, and you can as well, or you have the option of zeroing in on each individual manager. For instance, the EECOM (Electrical, Environmental and Consumables Manager) was the point man attempting to determine why the fuel cells were failing and why the LOX tank pressures were diminishing (they hadn’t yet realized that a previous “stir” command had caused a lox tank explosion). There confusion in the air and the problem-solving skills at NASA personnel became evident. This website is a treasure trove: https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/?t=055:52:58