48 years ago....and a couple days

[yogidozer]

Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 14:13 EST (19:13 UTC) from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, but the lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the Service Module (SM) upon which the Command Module (CM) had depended. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of potable water, and the critical need to make makeshift repairs to the carbon dioxide removal system, the crew returned safely to Earth on April 17, 1970, six days after launch.

[oldbike54]

 That was an incredible event . 48 years , WOW!

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

My friend Ed the Rocket Scientist (quite a seasoned aviator) was one of the principal scientists on the Apollo missions.
Heady days..
2016-07-22_11-33-34 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr

[yogidozer]

Chuck, WOW! all those involved were not only hero's, they were thinkers who would not give up until they were safe.
Still, truly a miracle they made it back safe!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Chuck, WOW! all those involved were not only hero's, they were thinkers who would not give up until they were safe.
Still, truly a miracle they made it back safe!

true.
Ed told me that the astronauts *knew* getting in that capsule was a calculated risk.
But..
If they had known just how much calculating was going on, they probably wouldn't have done that. 

[yogidozer]

I respectfully disagree Chuck. Firefighters, cops, military people all knowingly put their lives on the line, knowing it could all go bad in a heartbeat.
They are a different breed. Never hesitate to help others.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I respectfully disagree Chuck. Firefighters, cops, military people all knowingly put their lives on the line, knowing it could all go bad in a heartbeat.
They are a different breed. Never hesitate to help others.

I'm just telling you what Ed said.  You know, when I was a pup, I'd probably have gotten on that sucker. Not any more. Your perspective changes as you age. Now, if I was a cop, firefighter, etc.. and that was what I *did*.. I'd keep doing it until I died. (or retired)
political stuff deleted..

[yogidozer]

I'm just telling you what Ed said.  You know, when I was a pup, I'd probably have gotten on that sucker. Not any more. Your perspective changes as you age. Now, if I was a cop, firefighter, etc.. and that was what I *did*.. I'd keep doing it until I died. (or retired)
political stuff deleted..

I'd go too.....as long as I could bring my dogs, a helluva lot of coffee, oh, and something I could listen to music on 
Seriously (just for a minute) I'm sure they were concerned about their families. But my dogs are my family, so....

[oldbike54]

 All of those early astronauts were test pilots , those boys ain't right 

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

All of those early astronauts were test pilots , those boys ain't right 

 Dusty

That'd be "ain't rat" Dusty..  I've met a couple of them, and they seemed ok, but walked kind of bow legged, for some reason.   

[Sasquatch Jim]

 They were bowlegged cause they rode horses.  Didn't you watch "The right stuff".

[rtbickel]

And they did most of their figgerin' with a slide ruler and a pencil.