50 years ago today: on April 13, 1970, Apollo 13 was aborted after an oxygen tank ruptured on the way to the moon. Later deemed a “successful failure” because of experience gained in rescuing the crew, Apollo 13 became a case study of managing change and working together. The “Mailbox,” pictured here, helped bring astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert back to Earth. Because the original explosion happened in the Service Module, the astronauts had to use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat in space. So flight controllers and engineers on the ground created this DIY hack to make the air more breathable. (If you’re curious: the Mailbox connected the Command Module’s lithium hydroxide canisters, used to purge carbon dioxide, to the Lunar Module, which was carrying a limited amount of lithium hydroxide.) And as luck would have it, the CM’s filters were square…and the LM’s filters were round. You do what you can with the tools you have. (Photo: NASA)
What's Old is New Again
NASA’s red 80’s-era “worm” logo is back! Seen here on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the worm logo was originally designed by Richard Danne and introduced via the Federal Design Improvement Program in 1975. It was retired in 1992 in favor for the agency’s original 1950’s “meatball” graphic, but still used on clothing and other souvenir items. The Falcon 9 pictured above will help ferry astronauts to the International Space Station as part of SpaceX’s Demo-2 flight, now slated for mid-to-late May. (Photo: NASA)
Cross Border Collaboration
Astronauts Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman install protective covers onto NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope alongside the Space Shuttle Endeavor, c. 1993. Musgrave (R) is being raised by Canadarm (AKA the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System), which was designed by the Canadian aerospace industry to deploy, maneuver, and capture payloads in space. In 1981, Canadarm was delivered via truck from Toronto’s Spar Aerospace plant to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Canadarm is now on display at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. Canadarm2 now services the International Space Station approx. 250 miles above the Earth; Canadarm3 will eventually stay in space aboard the next major international collaboration: The Lunar Gateway. (Photo: NASA)
Social Distancing, Jet Pack Edition
Tales of Social Distancing, Jet Pack Edition: Astronaut Bruce McCandless II floats in space alongside the Space Shuttle Challenger on the debut mission of the MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit), circa 1984. The MMU allowed for tether-free mobility for the ultimate in antenna-adjustment when deploying & retrieving satellites, and moved around by shooting nitrogen from 24 nozzle thrusters at different locations. It weighed about the same as the fridge in your kitchen. Originally developed by McCandless & engineer Charles “Ed” Whitsett (who first posited the idea in a master’s thesis), the MMU was first tested inside the Skylab space station in 1973. Who says you can’t have fun indoors. (Photo: NASA)
Old School Social Distancing
Old school social distancing: Apollo 11 astronauts Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong chill-out in the Mobile Quarantine Facility after Earth’s first successful moon landing. They spent 2.5 days in this converted Airstream trailer while traveling back from their recovery ship (the USS Hornet), then 21 days at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston. What’d they do for 3 weeks? Wrote reports, met with scientists through a big glass wall, and celebrated Neil Armstrong’s 39th birthday. (Photo: NASA)