TIM MAGUIRE

The Saturn V SA-508 rocket carrying the Apollo 13
mission really did blast off at 14:13 (military time
for 2:13 p.m., ET) from the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida—and in Houston (CT),

TIM MAGUIRE

On this day in 1970, Apollo 13 blasted off on a mission to the moon
that was disrupted when an explosion crippled the spacecraft. The
three astronauts onboard consisted of James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr. All three managed to return
safely to Earth on April 17, six days after launch.

The crew of the Apollo 13 mission step aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima,
prime recovery ship for the mission, following splashdown and
recovery operations in the South Pacific. From left: astronauts Fred.
W. Haise, Jr., lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., commander;
and John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot.