ALPHABETICAL LIST OF WITNESSES Lovell, James A., Commander of Apollo 13. Swigert, John L., Jr., Command Module Pilot of Apollo 13. Figure: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Electrical power system.. 2. Enlarged scale of service module. 4. Sequence of events... 5. Astronaut photo of damaged area. 6. Description of mission.. 7. Summary of events. 8. Start of problem. 9. Consumable status.. 10. Summary of events. 11. Sequence for entry Page 21 11 2 21 7 8 9 10 13 14 16 17 19 20 APOLLO 13 MISSION FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1970 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES. Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in room 1202, New Senate Office Building, the Honorable Clinton P. Anderson (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Anderson, Symington, Stennis, Young, Holland, Smith of Maine, Curtis, Hatfield, Goldwater, and Saxbe. James J. Gehrig, staff director; Everard H. Smith, Jr., Dr. Glen P. Wilson, Craig Voorhees, and William Parker, professional staff members; Sam Bouchard, assistant chief clerk; Donald H. Brennan, research assistant; Mary Rita Robbins, Rhea Bruno, Patricia Robinson, Ruby L. Hamblen and Carol L. Wilson, clerical assistants. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order. Exactly one week ago we were holding our breaths praying for the safe return of Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and John Swigert. Today it is our honor to welcome Captain Lovell and Mr. Swigert to appear before this committee. Unfortunately, Mr. Haise is slightly ill and unable to be with us today. I wish to convey my heartiest congratulations to the entire NASA organization for the successful return of the Apollo 13 crew. Their performance during a period of great difficulty demonstrated the superb capabilities of the NASA team and of the Apollo system. Apollo 13 will be considered by some as a failure, because it did not accomplish its objective of a lunar landing and return with new scientific information. But in a real and larger sense, it was a human success a triumph of the human spirit, an exoneration of the human mind, a tribute to human perseverance, a victory for all mankind. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss with NASA officials the Apollo 13 mission and its problems. We are anxious to learn what happened, and what must be done to reestablish the Apollo launch schedule. Towards this end, we will begin today with testimony from Dr. Thomas O. Paine, Administrator of NASA, then we will hear Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Apollo Program Director, Mr. Glynn S. Lunney, Apollo 13 Mission Director, and Astronauts Lovell and Swigert. At a later date, after the review board has completed its investigation and made its recommendations, the committee will meet again with Dr. Paine and other NASA officials to discuss the future of the manned lunar exploration program. Senator Smith? COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico, Chairman RICHARD B. RUSSELL, Georgia WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington STUART SYMINGTON, Missouri JOHN STENNIS, Mississippi STEPHEN M. YOUNG, Ohio THOMAS J. DODD, Connecticut HOWARD W. CANNON, Nevada SPESSARD L. HOLLAND, Florida MARGARET CHASE SMITH, Msine JAMES J. GEHRIG, Staff Director EVERARD H. SMITH, Jr., Professional Staff Member Dr. GLEN P. WILSON, Professional Staf Member CRAIG VOORHEES, Professional Staff Member WILLIAM PARKER, Professional Staff Member (II) eng statement, Senator statement, Senator : of Dr. Thomas O ace Administration mmander of Apollo 13 ole Pilot of Apollo Tetor; and Glynn S. L Summary of actions foll Review Board investiga act of future mann Loo 13 effect on fut e of Dr. Rocco A. Problems noted 54 hou sive investigation rect early resolution ment of Glynn S. Lu Luar module as lifeb Summary of events.. Consumables status.. Sequence for entry--ment of Astronauts JL. Swigert, Jr., C Report of low morale Summarizes action af Describes feelings ov Transfer spacecraft Comments on enviro Employs Apollo 8 te Shows film of spaced tions by Committee Keeping cool under Space program stim Questions design ch No safety shortcuts Meteoroid damage Man will travel sol Foreign cooperatio Abort procedures. Emergency proced Answers "last mod Increase in pressu No unnecessary r Technology trans Reaction to adver Educational back Apollo 13 Review Status of Apollo Early cutoff of e NASA Control C Value of space in Possible cause of Complete qualif International Difficulty with Significance of 1 sp Space program Appendix: Establis CONTENTS FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1970 Opening statement, Senator Clinton P. Anderson, chairman.. Statement of Dr. Thomas O. Paine, Administrator, National Aeronautics Apollo 13 effect on future programs. Statement of Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Apollo Program Director.. Expect early resolution of problem. Problems noted 54 hours into mission__ Intensive investigation-- Statement of Glynn S. Lunney, Apollo 13 Mission Director Lunar module as lifeboat. Summary of events. Sequence for entry... Consumables status.. Statement of Astronauts James A. Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13; and John L. Swigert, Jr., Command Module Pilot of Apollo 13. Report of low morale completely false.- Summarizes action after explosion. Describes feelings over situation... Transfer spacecraft control to lunar module_ Shows film of spacecraft interior- Questions by Committee members.. Difficulty with oxygen tank.. Significance of lunar experiment. Space program applications to pollution. Appendix: Establishment of Apollo 13 Review Board.. Page 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 11 14 17 19 21 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 28 28 28 29 29 29 30 31 34 35 36 36 36 37 39 39 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 50 52 STATEMENT BY SENATOR SMITH Senator SMITH of Maine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to join in paying tribute to the astronauts of Apollo 13 for their very great courage and coolness in times of great stress. Also, Mr. Chairman, I would like to pay tribute to the entire NASA team for what I consider one of the greatest achievements made in the space program, for the way initial adversity was turned into dramatic success. The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Paine? STATEMENT OF DR. THOMAS 0. PAINE, ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION; ACCOMPANIED BY ASTRONAUT JAMES A. LOVELL, COMMANDER OF APOLLO 13; ASTRONAUT JOHN L. SWIGERT, JR., COMMAND MODULE PILOT OF APOLLO 13; DR. ROCCO A. PETRONE, APOLLO PROGRAM DIRECTOR; AND GLYNN S. LUNNEY, APOLLO 13 MISSION DIRECTOR Dr. PAINE. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, we appreciate this opportunity to appear before you to give you a preliminary report on the Apollo 13 mission, America's fifth lunar expedition and third landing attempt. SUMMARY OF ACTIONS FOLLOWING ACCIDENT This morning we will summarize for you our current understanding of: The accident aboard the spacecraft Odyssey while outward bound for the moon 55 hours and 54 minutes after launch; The immediate steps taken by flight controllers at Mission Control in Houston and the flight crew to contain the situation; The ensuing 300,000-mile voyage around the moon and back to earth using the lunar module Aquarius as a lifeboat; The investigative measures which were initiated within NASA immediately after the successful splashdown; and Our view of the impact of the Apollo 13 accident on the U.S. space program. Dr. Rocco Petrone, Director of the Apollo Program, will give you his present best estimate of the principal events prior to and during the accident which apparently led to the rupture of oxygen bottle No. 2 in the service module. The actions taken on the ground to recover from the accident and return the crew safely back to earth will then be described by Mr. Glynn S. Lunney, who was flight director in Mission Control during much of the critical period following the accident. Astronaut James A. Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, and Astronaut Jack Swigert, the command module pilot, will then describe to you the events that took place in the spacecraft during this period. We thought it best that Astronaut Fred Haise, the lunar module pilot, not accompany his crewmates here today. As we informed the committee yesterday, the astronauts' physician asked that Mr. Haise |