Apollo 13 (as-508): Houston, We Have A Problem. :: essays research papers

Apollo 13 (AS-508) Houston, we have a problem.The Apollo 13 rush was launched at 213 p.m. EST, April 11, 1970 fromlaunch complex 39A at Kennedy outer space Center. The space vehicle crew consisted ofJames A. Lovell, Jr. influenceer, John L. Swigert, Jr., command module pilot andFred W. Haise, Jr. lunar module pilot.The Apollo 13 agency was planned as a lunar landing mission precisely wasaborted en route to the moon after about 56 hours of rush due to loss ofservice module cryogenic group O and accompanying loss of capability to generateelectrical power, to provide atomic number 8 and to acquire water.Spacecraft systems performance was nominal until the fans in cryogenicoxygen tankful 2 were turned on at 555318 ground elapsed time (GET). About 2seconds after stimulate the fan circuit, a short was indicated in the currentfrom fuel stall 3, which was furnishing power to cryogenic oxygen tank 2 fans. deep down several additional seconds, two other shorted conditions occurred .Electrical shorts in the fan circuit ignited the wire insulation, causingtemperature and pressure to sum up within cryogenic oxygen tank 2. Whenpressure reached the cryogenic oxygen tank 2 relief valve full-flow conditionsof 1008 psi, the pressure began decreasing for about 9 seconds, at which timethe relief valve probably reseated, causing the pressure to come near againmomentarily. About a quarter of a second later, a vibration disturbance wasnoted on the command module accelerometers.The succeeding(prenominal) series of events occurred within a fraction of a second amongstthe accelerometer disturbances and the data loss. A tank line burst, because ofheat, in the vacuum pileus pressurizing the annulus and, in turn, causing theblow-out plug on the vacuum crest to rupture. Some mechanism in bay 4 combinedwith the oxygen buildup in that bay to cause a rapid pressure organise whichresulted in separation of the outer circuit card. The panel struck one of the dishes ofthe high- gain antenna. The panel separation shock closed the fuel cell 1 and 3oxygen reactant shut-off valves and several propellant and helium isolationvalves in the reply control system. Data were lost for about 1.8 seconds asthe high-gain antenna switched from change beam to wide beam, because of theantenna being hit and damaged.As a result of these occurrences, the CM was powered down and the LM wasconfigured to supply the necessary power and other consumables.The CSM was powered down at almost 5840 GET. The surge tank andrepressurization package were isolated with approximately 860 psi residualpressure (approx. 6.5 lbs of oxygen total). The primary water dihydric alcohol system was