Apollo 13 Oxygen Tank Explosion
An oxygen tank explodes aboard Apollo 13, crippling the spacecraft and endangering the lives of the astronauts. Mission Control scrambles to assess the situation and devise a plan to bring the crew ho
Setting
NASA Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas, during the Apollo 13 crisis. The room is filled with rows of consoles, each manned by a flight controller. Large screens display data and telemetry from the spacecraft.
Characters
Gene Kranz
primary
A middle-aged man in his late 30s, with a crew cut and a serious demeanor. His build is athletic, reflecting his military background. He wears a white, short-sleeved dress shirt with a black tie, typical of NASA flight directors during the Apollo era. His face is clean-shaven, and his piercing eyes convey intense focus.
Jim Lovell
primary
A 42-year-old astronaut with a lean, athletic build, short-cropped brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. His face shows the strain of the crisis, with faint lines of stress around his eyes and mouth.
Flight Controller
secondary
A focused, middle-aged man with short-cropped hair, wearing thick-rimmed glasses that reflect the glow of the console screens. His posture is upright, indicative of years of military discipline, and his hands move precisely over the controls.
Jack Swigert
secondary
A lean, athletic man in his late 30s with short-cropped brown hair and a clean-shaven face. His piercing blue eyes reflect a mix of concentration and concern. His NASA-issued headset rests snugly over his ears.
Fred Haise
background
A lean, fit man in his mid-30s with short-cropped brown hair and sharp features typical of astronauts of the era. His face bears the focused intensity of someone trained for high-stakes situations.
Dialog
Gene Kranz
Alright, listen up. We've got a spacecraft in trouble. Let's work the problem, people.
Flight Controller
Houston, we're seeing a major pressure drop in oxygen tank two. Data looks critical.
Jim Lovell
Houston, we've had a problem here. Main bus B undervolt.
Gene Kranz
Understood, Apollo 13. We're on it. What's your CO2 scrubber status?
Flight Controller
Scrubber's holding for now, but we're burning through filters fast. Need a fix ASAP.
Jim Lovell
Copy that. We're powering down non-essentials to conserve. Keep us posted.
Gene Kranz
Roger, Apollo 13. We're bringing every resource to bear. Hold tight.