Apollo 13 Research Paper

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Apollo 13: Problems, Creative Problem Solving, and Success The film Apollo 13 follows the historical mission of the Apollo 13 space craft. The film begins by introducing three young astronauts who have been given a once in a lifetime mission to the moon. Throughout their swift six month training, the space program is constantly reminded of the unlucky number 13 tied to the mission’s name. The bad luck begins when one of the crew’s member, Ken, has a blood test come back positive for measles. He is replaced, and the mission launches on schedule just a few days later. Early into the mission, complications arise as engine five shuts off. This is solved quickly though and chalked off as the mission’s glitch. Unfortunately, this is not the case.…show more content…
First, while Jim is giving a tour of NASA, he is asked why the program should continue to be funded after the United States of America beat Russia to the moon. Although the film does not elaborate on this problem, it can be inferred. NASA is a successful program that continues to make huge scientific contributions and prove its importance. The next problem to take place is the question of whether the men will be ready for space after just six months of training. The men work hard with every available moment to learn the operations of the space shuttle and each other. Their success in the training is clearly displayed by the way the men handle the unfortunate events later in space. The final major problem to occur before take off is Ken’s potential illness. His blood test comes back positive for measles, and he is not able to join is crewmates on the mission. This is solved by replacing him with a backup member. Although the crew is whole again, they are not out of the woods because their newest member did not train with the original members. Overall, the men discover how to work together and are…show more content…
Early on, engine five shuts off; this is easily solved by burning the other engines a while longer. The men chalk this off to their mission’s glitch, unaware of the mayhem that awaits them. Eventually, Jack stirs the oxygen tank, causing a major explosion. The crew works as a team with the help of the controllers on Earth to prevent power loss. They attempt to isolate the leak causing the issues by closing the reactant valves. This is not effective, so the men conserve power. When it seems as if the men have had their share of difficulties, the astronauts find themselves off course and lacking resources. At headquarters on earth, Ken helps the controllers to understand the situation in space. He solves the amplitude problems and some that relate the eventual landing. Next, the crew members face an increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the cabin of the space shuttle. Engineers successfully build a device to lower the carbon dioxide levels using the tools available to the astronauts, then teach the men in space. This buys them more time. More minor problems such as the loss of heat in the cabin and Fred’s illness occur in space are not solved in the film. The final problem the crew faces is terrible landing conditions on Earth including: a potential typhoon, a bad trajectory angle, parachute troubles, and a broken heat shield. The crew goes over the landing procedure step by step, enters

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