Question
What initially caused the infamous Apollo 13 mishap?
an electrical fire
a leak in the air duct
a fuel cell failure
an oxygen tank explosion
an electrical fire
a leak in the air duct
a fuel cell failure
an oxygen tank explosion
Ask by Joseph Johnson. in the United States
Jan 22,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The Apollo 13 mishap was caused by an oxygen tank explosion.
Solution
The infamous Apollo 13 mishap was caused by an oxygen tank explosion. Specifically, an explosion occurred in one of the service module’s oxygen tanks, which led to a series of critical failures in the spacecraft’s systems. This incident forced the crew to abort their mission to the Moon and focus on returning safely to Earth.
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The infamous Apollo 13 mishap was primarily caused by an oxygen tank explosion. During the pre-launch checks, engineers discovered that one of the oxygen tanks in the service module had been damaged due to a series of design and manufacturing issues, including high temperature. This led to the catastrophic failure while the spacecraft was en route to the Moon, forcing the crew to abort their mission and focus on safely returning to Earth.
Despite the critical failure, the mission showcased incredible teamwork and ingenuity. NASA engineers worked tirelessly from the ground to develop contingency plans and troubleshoot problems, including devising methods to conserve power and create makeshift life-support systems. The success of bringing the crew home safely, under such dire circumstances, is a testament to human resilience and innovation in the face of adversity.
