Minute 013: Seven Seconds of Sheer Terror

07/11/18 • 34 min

1 Listener

Lovell, Mattingly, and Haise are in the Command Module SIM, attempting to dock with the LM.

“We’ll go ahead and recycle the valves,” says Mattingly. Lovell closes and reopens the valve switches for circuits B and D.

“They’re all gray,” reports Lovell. Mattingly alters the pitch position dial.

Outside, the video camera moves closer to the LM model. Over Mattingly’s head, the video image of the probe target lines up with the reticule.

“Twenty,” says Haise.

“Easy,” whispers Mattingly, working the joystick.

“Ten feet,” reports Haise. The video camera touches the center of the LM model docking port.

“Capture,” says Mattingly.

“That’s it!” says Lovell. “That’s it!” Haise gives a whoop of approval.

“Sweet move, Ken!” says Haise. “Beautiful, beautiful!”

“Gentlemen,” says Lovell, “that is the way we do that.”

“Oh man,” says Haise, “that woke me up!”

Outside the CM sim, an announcer on the speaker says, “Apollo Thirteen backup crew, you’re up in the simulator.”

“Nice job, Jim,” says Jack Swigert, backup CM Pilot, as backup Commander John Young and Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke follow behind him.

“That’s three hours of boredom, followed by seven seconds of sheer terror,” says Lovell.

“Good job, guys,” says the SIM controller, Frank, at the foot of the stairs, “You just won the Christmas turkey!”

“Nice try, Frank!” says Haise, as the crew applauds.

“You really outfoxed him, brother,” says Haise to Mattingly.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t perfect,” replies Ken. “Used up too much fuel.” Mattingly pauses on the stairs.

“Aw, you’re above the curve,” says Fred Haise.

“Not by much,” says Ken. “Listen, guys, I want to work it again.” The backup team pauses.

Haise turns around. “Hey,” he says, “we gotta be up with the dawn patrol headed for Bethpage – what, oh-seven hundred.”

“Wheels up at oh-seven hundred,” confirms Lovell.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
SIM controller Frank : Arthur Senzy
Ken Mattingly: Gary Sinese
Fred Haise: Bill Paxton
Jack Swigert: Kevin Bacon
John Young: Ben Marley
Charlie Duke: Unknown

Lovell, Mattingly, and Haise are in the Command Module SIM, attempting to dock with the LM.

“We’ll go ahead and recycle the valves,” says Mattingly. Lovell closes and reopens the valve switches for circuits B and D.

“They’re all gray,” reports Lovell. Mattingly alters the pitch position dial.

Outside, the video camera moves closer to the LM model. Over Mattingly’s head, the video image of the probe target lines up with the reticule.

“Twenty,” says Haise.

“Easy,” whispers Mattingly, working the joystick.

“Ten feet,” reports Haise. The video camera touches the center of the LM model docking port.

“Capture,” says Mattingly.

“That’s it!” says Lovell. “That’s it!” Haise gives a whoop of approval.

“Sweet move, Ken!” says Haise. “Beautiful, beautiful!”

“Gentlemen,” says Lovell, “that is the way we do that.”

“Oh man,” says Haise, “that woke me up!”

Outside the CM sim, an announcer on the speaker says, “Apollo Thirteen backup crew, you’re up in the simulator.”

“Nice job, Jim,” says Jack Swigert, backup CM Pilot, as backup Commander John Young and Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke follow behind him.

“That’s three hours of boredom, followed by seven seconds of sheer terror,” says Lovell.

“Good job, guys,” says the SIM controller, Frank, at the foot of the stairs, “You just won the Christmas turkey!”

“Nice try, Frank!” says Haise, as the crew applauds.

“You really outfoxed him, brother,” says Haise to Mattingly.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t perfect,” replies Ken. “Used up too much fuel.” Mattingly pauses on the stairs.

“Aw, you’re above the curve,” says Fred Haise.

“Not by much,” says Ken. “Listen, guys, I want to work it again.” The backup team pauses.

Haise turns around. “Hey,” he says, “we gotta be up with the dawn patrol headed for Bethpage – what, oh-seven hundred.”

“Wheels up at oh-seven hundred,” confirms Lovell.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
SIM controller Frank : Arthur Senzy
Ken Mattingly: Gary Sinese
Fred Haise: Bill Paxton
Jack Swigert: Kevin Bacon
John Young: Ben Marley
Charlie Duke: Unknown

Previous Episode

Minute 012: See What He Does with This One

1 Recommendations

GUEST HOST: AMY YOUNG
OF THE SPACE STATION MUSEUM
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA

Jim and Marilyn Lovell are discussing Jim’s assignment to the Apollo 13 mission.

Marilyn shakes her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe it,” she says, “Naturally, it’s thirteen. Why, thirteen?”

“It comes after twelve, Hon,” replies Jim. Marilyn smiles back at him.

In the Command Module trainer, Ken Mattingly examines the instrument panel.

“Apollo 13, you are go for pyro arm and docking,” says the Capcom. “all systems are nominal and on the line.”

TITLE: “MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER HOUSTON, TEXAS, 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO LAUNCH”

“Okay, S-IV-B is stable,” replies LM Pilot Fred Haise. “Slot panels are drifting free. The drogue is clear. Docking target is clear.”

“Seventy five feet, we’re coming up on docking,” says Haise to the crew.

In the Sim room, one of the controllers says, “Let’s shut down some thrusters on him. Let’s see what he does with this one.” Another operator presses a button.

“Who, wait a minute,” says Mattingly, “I lost something here. I can’t translate up.” Mattingly works the joystick.

“Houston, we are drifting down and away,” reports Haise.

“Do you want to just back off and take another run at this?” says Lovell to Mattingly.

“No, I got it. I got it,” replies Mattingly. “Let me just try and get her stable here. The SIM camera wobbles as it aims toward the LM docking port.

“Houston, I’m gonna reset the high-gain here,” says Haise.

“I’ve got the target back in the reticle,” says Mattingly. “Okay, we’re stable.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
Marilyn Lovell: Kathleen Quinlan
SIM controller: Arthur Senzy
Ken Mattingly: Gary Sinese
Fred Haise: Bill Paxton

Next Episode

Minute 014: Ken, Get Your Helmet On!

1 Recommendations

GUEST HOST: GRAPHIC NOVELIST BRIAN FIES

Lovell, Mattingly, and Haise just finished a three hour simulation in the CM SIM.

“Yeah, I know,” replies Ken, “but my rate of turn is still a little too slow there, I really think we should work it again.”

Lovell looks at Mattingly. “Well, let’s get it right!” says Lovell.

“Okay,” says Mattingly, “Set it up again, Frank.” Mattingly turns back to the simulator, passing by the backup crew.

“Okay, Thirteen backup crew, it’ll have to wait. Prime crew’s up for another run.” says the PA announcer.

Backup CDR John Young passes by Lovell on the stairs. “Yeah, baby!” says Young.

The scene fades.

“Apollo Thirteen, we show S-IV-B shutdown and all systems are nominal,” says a Capcom voice over the radio. The view is that of the Command Modules DSKY display, showing the computer activity being Program 06, Verb 16, Noun 62. A gloved finger presses the Proceed key.

Astronauts Haise, Lovell, and Mattingly are in their seats. Ken Mattingly is not wearing his helmet.

“Fred, set the S-Band Omni to B, and when you get in the LM, Two Forward,” continues the Capcom voice on the radio. Haise is throwing switches.

“Good shape over here,” says Haise. A Master Alarm starts blaring.

“Hey, we got a problem,” says Lovell, scanning the controls.

“Oh-Two flow High,” says Haise. The cabin pressure dial rises.

“Cabin depress – repeat, cabin depress!” says Lovell.

“I got no suit pressure!” says Mattingly.

“Ken, get your helmet on!” says Lovell.

“I can’t get it locked and we’ve got a master alarm!” yells Mattingly. The glass faces of the dials break.

“Oh God, oh God!” says Lovell, as the glass flies at the astronauts. Suddenly, the hatch blows out. Lovell’s oxygen lines separate from the suit. The seat frame breaks, and Lovell is shoved out the hole where the hatch used to be.

More dials and indicators break and spark. Haise calls for help while trapped behind the wreckage of the CM interior.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
SIM controller Frank : Arthur Senzy
Ken Mattingly: Gary Sinese
Fred Haise: Bill Paxton
Jack Swigert: Kevin Bacon
John Young: Ben Marley
Charlie Duke: Unknown