Tag Archives: John L. Swigert

17 April 1970, 18:07:41 UTC, T + 142:54:41

Space Flight, , , , , , , , ,
Apollo 13 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, 18:07:41 UTC, 17 April 1969. (U.S. Navy)
Apollo 13 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, 18:07:41 UTC, 17 April 1969. (NASA)

17 April 1970: Apollo 13 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at S. 21° 38′ 24″, W. 165° 21′ 42″, southwest of American Samoa. The landing was just 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the recovery ship, USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2).

A Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King, Bu. No. 152711, from HS-4 hovers near the Apollo 13 command capsule, 17 April 1970. Pararescue jumpers are with the capsule. USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) is nearby. (NASM)

With their spacecraft crippled by an internal explosion on 13 April, the planned lunar landing mission had to be aborted. Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Fred W. Haise, Jr., worked continuously with engineers at Mission Control, Houston, Texas, to overcome a series of crises that threatened their lives.

The flight crew of Apollo 13 disembark the Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King helicopter, Bu. No. 152711, Number 66, aboard USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2), at approximately 18:52 UTC, 17 April 1969. In the center of the image, from left to right, are astronauts Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert. (NASA)
The flight crew of Apollo 13 disembark the Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King helicopter, Bu. No. 152711, Number 66, aboard USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2), at approximately 18:52 UTC, 17 April 1970. In the center of the image, from left to right, are astronauts Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert. (NASA)

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes