How Apollo 13 Made It Home
On April 11, 1970, three astronauts blasted off toward the Moon. They expected to explore its surface. Instead, Apollo 13 became a race to bring them safely back to Earth.
The spacecraft had three main parts. The command module, called Odyssey, was the crew’s home for most of the flight and the only part built to carry them through Earth’s atmosphere. The service module supplied resources, including oxygen and electrical power. The lunar module, called Aquarius, was designed to land two astronauts on the Moon.
Trouble in space
On April 13, an oxygen tank in the service module ruptured. The accident damaged the spacecraft’s supply of oxygen and electrical power. The crew could no longer safely continue with the planned Moon landing.
Astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise moved into the lunar module. Although Aquarius was meant for a Moon landing, it became their lifeboat. Its oxygen, batteries, and other supplies could support the crew while Odyssey was shut down to save power for the return to Earth.
The lunar module had not been designed to hold three people for the long trip home. The crew had to use its limited supplies carefully. They reduced their use of electricity, and the cabin became very cold. They also had to limit their use of water.
- ruptured:
- Broke open suddenly.
- resources:
- Supplies or materials that can be used when needed.
- atmosphere:
- The layer of gases surrounding a planet.
- enclosed:
- Surrounded or closed in on all sides.
- assembled:
- Put together from separate parts.
- reentry:
- The return of a spacecraft into a planet's atmosphere.
- descent:
- The act of moving downward.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did Apollo 13's crew give up the planned Moon landing?
- 2Why does the passage call Aquarius a lifeboat?
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About this explanatory article passage for 5th Grade
“How Apollo 13 Made It Home” is a explanatory article reading passage about Space exploration, written for 5th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (530 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.