Apollo 13 Minute Podcast

“Roger, Odyssey – – we copy you’re venting,” says CAPCOM.

All the flight controllers start talking over each other. It rapidly becomes a cacophony of voices.

“Okay, listen up!” says Kranz. “Quiet dow…

“C – Charlie!” says Haise, reading off information to Houston.

“-and B are barber-poled,” adds Swigert.

“Houston,” says Lovell, “I’m switching over Quad C to Main A.” He throws a switch.

“Roger that,…

EECOM is looking at his monitor and can’t believe the readings.

“– reading a quadruple failure? That can’t happen!” says EECOM. “It’s gotta be instrumentation.”

“Let’s get that hatch buttoned,” says …

The MAIN BUS B UNDERVOLT warning light turns on, followed by the CMC (Command Module Computer) alarm light.

“We have a Main Bus B undervolt,” says Lovell, throwing a switch on the battery selector in…

Jack Swigert is completing several housekeeping tasks on Odyssey.

“And then,” says CAPCOM, “if you could give your oxygen tanks a stir…”

“Roger that,” says Swigert.

EECOM puffs his pipe and looks at …

GUEST: ACTOR BRETT CULLEN

Jim Lovell is completing the narration of the Apollo XIII TV broadcast.

“-Aquarius, and return to the Odyssey,” says Lovell, ” our next broadcast will be from Fra Mauro, o…

GUEST: CLASSICS PROFESSOR CHARLES CHIASSON

Jim Lovell continues his narration of the TV broadcast from Apollo XIII, as “Honkey Tonkin'” by Hank Williams plays in the background.

“Well, folks, as you …

Fred Haise is demonstrating orange juice in zero gravity. “Lemon Tree,” sung by Trini López, begins to play.

In Mission Control, Marilyn Lovell is talking to Henry Hurt.

“Do they know they’re not on …

“Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum begins to play. Haise spins the cassette player in zero gravity.

Fred Haise’s children, watching in the visitors’ gallery at Mission Control, laugh. Mary Haise…

GUEST HOST: STAR WARS MINUTES’ PETE THE RETAILER

Barbara Lovell is having an argument with her mother about…

“the stupid Beatles breaking up!” says Susan Lovell.

“They’re not stupid! You’re stupid!” …

It’s the change of shift at Mission Control. Everyone is being updated on mission status for each station.

The scene fades.

TITLE: DAY 3 APRIL 13

The CSM and Lunar Module are in rotisserie mode, roll…

Jack Swigert,  is just about to dock the Apollo CSM with the LM.

Looking through the reticle, Swigert sees that he’s aligned with the target.

The CSM probe pin is aimed directly at the LM’s drogue.

S…

Jack Swigert, Command Module Pilot, is about to retrieve the Lunar Module from the S-IV-B.

“Thrusting forward,” says Swigert, nudging the RCS controller.

“One hundred feet,” says Haise, watching out …

GUEST: SPACE SHUTTLE CDR CHARLIE PRECOURT

The CSM and the S-IV-B hang in deep space.

“We’re ready for CSM separation,” says Swigert.

“Okay, SM RCS iso valves are all gray, ” says Lovell. “Okay, Swige…

FIDO is looking at the numbers for the Trans Lunar Injection.

“It’s on the money!” says FIDO, “Looks good, Flight.”

“Roger, FIDO,” says Gene Kranz. “Okay, guys – – we’re going to the Moon!

“Flight, w…

The cabin is filled with floating helmets and gloves in zero gravity, as the astronauts play with these drifting items in the Command Module.

The smoky contrail of the launch hangs in the Florida sky…

Despite the early center engine cutoff on the S-II stage, Apollo 13 continues into orbit.

“Looks like we just had our glitch for this mission,” says Lovell.

Back on Earth, Ken Mattingly looks at the …

Riding into orbit, the instrument panel suddenly reports a problem with the S-II’s center engine.

“Houston, this is Thirteen,” says Lovell, “We’ve got a center engine cut-off, go on the other four?”

…

The Command Module’s DSKY reports the ship is Program 11, Verb 16, Noun 62, reporting lines +00062, +00152, and +00032.

“Velocity, right on the line,” says Swigert, looking at the instrument panel’s …

The flames at the base of the LUT begin to flow back inside, toward the flame trench.

The crew seats shudder as the rocket lifts off the pad.

“The clock is running!” announces Lovell.  The Mission …