Today, I am thankful for the those who solve problems by exhibiting grace under pressure.
When President John F. Kennedy (JFK) inspired the United States in the early 1960s with his quest to put a ‘man on the Moon’ before the end of 1969, he did so knowing this daunting task was unprecedented and arduous: “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade, among other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Much of his zestful yearning was boosted by our expanding understanding of aviation science (including advances in rocket technology, astrophysics, and computerized electronics), while some of it was based solely on national pride.
To do so, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) employed the concept of Lunar Orbit Rendezvous. A 3-part spacecraft, comprised of a command module (CM), a service module (SM), and a lunar landing module (LM) are placed atop 3 separate booster rockets (or ‘stages’), which are used to propel the spacecraft into Earth’s orbit. The CM electronically controls the ship, while the SM stores critical supplies and propellant. The sole role of the LM is to transfer astronauts to and from the Moon once the astronauts reach the Moon’s orbit. Once effectively reaching the Moon’s orbit, the LM separates from the CM/SM and descends with 2 of the 3 astronauts to the Moon, while the remaining astronaut remains in the CM/SM and continues to orbit around the Moon. After the 2 moon-walking astronauts successfully transfer back into the CM/SM with whatever goodies they’ve collected from the Moon’s surface, the CM/SM separates from the LM and heads back to Earth. Meanwhile, the LM is jettisoned into space.
This ‘simple’ approach is the plan, as was successfully demonstrated on both the Apollo 11 and 12 missions. However, on the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, the entire approach was flipped on its head. On this day (Apr 13), an explosion of an oxygen tank in the SM rendered that module useless, leading astronaut Jack Swigert to calmly note: “OK, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” With a non-functioning SM, the astronauts sealed off the SM and contained themselves in the CM and LM.
NASA went into full crisis mode. What was intended to be a moon landing turned into a survival mission to get the 3 astronauts home. IN other words, a casual 8-day trip to the Moon became a harrowing 6-day rescue. NASA officials in Houston strategized day and night to get the astronauts home alive. First, they decided to use the LM as a makeshift service module. Instead of serving as a vehicle to transport the astronauts to the moon’s surface, the LM provided an oxygen source to keep the astronauts alive for the next 2 days; in addition, boosters on the LM would serve to propel the CM and the astronauts back to Earth. Next, NASA scientists on the ground ingeniously concocted a way to retrofit canisters in the LM to collect the increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the CM. Third, they programmed several ‘burns’ of the LM to properly propel the CM back to Earth. Finally, once close to Earth, they engineered a way to power up the CM from its full shutdown state. All the while, water and energy was conserved in the cold CM. An hour before reaching Earth, the LM was jettisoned, leaving just the CM to maneuver its way through the atmosphere, returning the astronauts back towards Earth. It all worked, and Apollo 13 splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean on April 17.
The greatest daredevil rescue in the history of humanity was achieved because everyone at NASA collaborated on achieving a single goal: Get the astronauts home safely.
Grace under pressure was given a new meaning that fateful day in April. May we all have the power, perseverance, and poise to achieve our goals.
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