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>> 51 YEARS AGO, THE WORLD
WATCHED AS THREE ASTRONAUTS
LIFTED OFF ON THE APOLLO 13
MISSION IN HOPES OF MAKING A
THIRD HUMAN LANDING ON THE
MOON, BUT AS WE KNOW THAT
MISSION DID NOT GO ACCORDING
TO PLAN.
>> NO, THOSE INITIAL HARROWING MOMENTS MADE INFAMOUS IN THE
MOMENTS MADE INFAMOUS IN THE
1995 FILM FEATURING TOM HANKS
AND KEVIN BACON.
>> WE’VE GOT A FIRE.
MULTIPLE CAUTION AND WARNINGS,
HOUSTON.
>> THIS IS HOUSTON, SAY AGAIN,
PLEASE?
>> HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
>> TONIGHT WE’RE GOING
ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE HEROES WHO
INSPIRED THAT FILM.
>> THE MISSION NOT SEEN AS A
FAILURE BUT A SUCCESSFUL
FAILURE BECAUSE EVERYONE MADE
IT OUT ALIVE.
HERE’S SPACE REPORTER ROSE-ANN
ARAGON.
>> Reporter: APRIL 11, 1970.
>> SATURN FIVE, BUILDING UP TO
7.6 MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST.
>> Reporter: COMMANDER JIM
LOVELL, BACKUP COMMAND PILOT
JACK SWIGERT AND LUNAR MODULE
PILOT FRED HAISE WERE THE
DARING FACES DESTINED FOR THE
THIRD MOON LANDING.
>> THIS IS MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON.
>> HOUSTON’S MISSION CONTROL.
>> THEY KNOW THE JOB, THEY
KNOW THE VEHICLES.
>> Reporter: THEY PUT THEIR
TIRELESS TRAINING TO THE TEST.
>> HOUSTON, WE’VE HAD A
PROBLEM.
>> Reporter: THE CREW DIDN’T
MAKE IT TO THE LUNAR SURFACE.
>> APOLLO 13 STOOD OUT BECAUSE
IT’S A DRAMA.
>> Reporter: BUT THEY DID MAKE
IT OUT ALIVE.
>> APOLLO 13, THIS IS
RECOVERY, OVER.
>> Reporter: 51 YEARS LATER, A
NEW 87-YEAR-OLD FRED HAISE AND
A 93-YEAR-OLD COMMANDER, SIT
DOWN WITH ME.
>> WE’RE ABLE TO TAKE AN
ALMOST CERTAIN CATASTROPHE
INTO A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY.
>> Reporter: SHY OF 56 HOURS
INTO THE MISSION.
>> THIS IS THE CREW OF APOLLO
13.
WE WISH EVERYONE THERE A NICE
EVENING.
>> STIR UP THE CRYOTANKS.
>> Reporter: GONE WRONG.
>> WE’VE HAD A PROBLEM HERE.
>> SAY AGAIN, PLEASE?
>> HOUSTON, WE’VE HAD A
PROBLEM.
>> Reporter: AN EXPLOSION
RUPTURED A TANK, THEY KNEW.
>> WE LOST ONE OXYGEN TANK.
>> Reporter: TIME WAS TICKING.
>> WE WERE LOSING OXYGEN.
>> Reporter: THAT OXYGEN WAS
NEEDED TO RUN FUEL CELLS,
THEIR SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY
AND WATER.
>> I KNEW INSTANTLY THAT MEANT
ABORT.
>> Reporter: MISSION CONTROL
HUNG TOUGH.
>> CALL IN THE BACKUP NOW.
>> WE WERE HANDLING SOMETHING
THAT WE KNEW WAS OUT OF
CONTROL.
>> IT BECAME APPARENT WE HAD A
SLOW LEAK.
>> Reporter: WITH A SECOND
OXYGEN TANK DAMAGED, TWO OF
THREE CELLS WERE DYING, THE
COMMAND MODULE HAD TO BE SHUT
DOWN TO SAVE POWER FOR A
FUTURE LANDING.
>> WHAT LOGICALLY WERE THE
THINGS YOU HAD DO TO SURVIVE?
>> TRANSFER THE GUIDANCE
SYSTEM FROM THE COMMAND MODULE
OR TO THE LUNAR MODULE.
>> Reporter: THE LUNAR MODULE
WAS A LIFE BOAT.
>> COMING HOME NOW, WE HAD A
DEAD SURFACE MODULE, A LUNAR
MODULE THAT WAS A WONDERFUL
VEHICLE TO TRAVEL HOME WITH
BUT DIDN’T HAVE A HEAT SHIELD,
UNFORTUNATELY.
>> LOOKING TOWARDS AN
ALTERNATE MISSION.
>> I WAS SICK WITH
DISAPPOINTMENT.
>> Reporter: APOLLO 13 WOULD
BE KNOWN AS A SUCCESSFUL
FAILURE.
>> THIS WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE
OF COOPERATION.
>> Reporter: THEY ADAPTED.
>> I WANT YOU TO GET GUYS
SITTING IN MINIMUM POWER IN
THE LIMB TO SUSTAIN LIFE.
>> Reporter: JIM WOULD
PERSEVERE.
THEY GOT CREATIVE.
WITH DIRECTIONS FROM HERE ON
EARTH, THEY CRAFTED CARBON
DIOXIDE SCRUBBERS.
>> IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM.
>> Reporter: AFTER HAND
CALCULATIONS AND A FEW MANUAL
BURNS, ON APRIL 17.
>> THIS REALLY LOOKS GREAT.
>> Reporter: THE WORLD
WATCHED.
>> LOOKS GOOD.
>> Reporter: THESE THREE
HEROES.
>> THERE ARE VISIBLE SMILES ON
THE FACES OF THE FLIGHT
CONTROLLERS.
>> Reporter: CAME HOME ALIVE.
>> WE WERE ALL HAPPY, AND WE
ALL BREATHED A SIGH OF RELIEF.
>> I WAS CERTAINLY HAPPY WE
WERE BACK.
>> Reporter: 51 YEARS LATER AT
SPACE CENTER HOUSTON.
>> THIS IS IT RIGHT HERE.
>> Reporter: THE BRONZE STATUE
TELLS THEIR STORY.
>> ACCURATE AS WELL.
>> THE STATUE REPRESENTS THE
COOPERATION BETWEEN CREW,
MISSION CONTROL AND THE
AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.
>> Reporter: WHAT IS IT LIKE
TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT?
>> I THINK IT’S GREAT.
THIS IS FITTING, I THINK HERE
IN HOUSTON BECAUSE IT’S THE
HOME OF MISSION CONTROL.
>> Reporter: THEY’RE INSPIRING