This year marks three decades since the release of the Oscar-winning film Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard. The film serves as a heartfelt tribute to NASA’s Apollo program, focusing specifically on the harrowing mission of the same name. In honor of this milestone, we take a moment to reflect on this compelling depiction of American innovation, science, and bravery.
(Spoilers follow.)
Apollo 13 creatively dramatizes the ill-fated 1970 lunar mission that turned into what NASA would call a “successful failure,” as all three astronauts returned to Earth safely against considerable odds. The narrative begins with astronaut Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) hosting a watch party in July 1969 to witness Neil Armstrong’s groundbreaking first moonwalk. Initially set to command the Apollo 14 mission, Lovell is ecstatic when he and his crew—Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) and Fred Haise (Bill Paxton)—are assigned to Apollo 13. However, his superstitious wife, Marilyn (Kathleen Quinlan), expresses concern: “It had to be 13.” Lovell reassures her, stating, “It comes after 12.”
Days before the launch, Mattingly is removed from the mission due to exposure to the measles, leading to backup astronaut Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) stepping in. While Swigert is pleased with the sudden change, Lovell and Haise manage to put their disappointment aside as the launch proceeds smoothly. Unfortunately, public interest in the event has waned, as it’s viewed as routine. However, that perception is about to change dramatically.
During a routine maintenance procedure to stir the oxygen tanks, an electrical malfunction leads to one tank exploding, while the other begins to vent its oxygen into space. The crew quickly realizes they have less than an hour to evacuate the command module Odyssey and move into the lunar module Aquarius, re-purposing it as a lifeboat. The objective shifts from landing on the Moon to ensuring the astronauts’ survival long enough to devise a plan to return home safely. This involves navigating interpersonal conflicts, dealing with frigid temperatures, dwindling supplies, and hazardous levels of CO2, all while executing a critical manual course correction without the aid of a navigational computer. (Spoiler alert: they succeed!)
