Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
Echoes Among the Stars — Chapter Seven
Apollo 12 and 13: Storms in Space
“Within the tiny Apollo capsule, the sudden pyrotechnics caused a serious power failure, plunging the crew into darkness. The ship’s main circuit breakers had been triggered, temporarily cutting out its electric system. But the capsule’s battery-operated backup electrical scheme automatically restored the craft’s lights and instruments, and the Saturn V continued to fire, its separate guidance system unaffected by the lightning strike.” -- page 98
• Topics Covered in This Chapter
• Topics for Discussion
• Historical Context
• Possible Writing Assignments
Topics Covered in This Chapter
• 1969: The Summer of Apollo and Woodstock
• Sailing the Ocean of Storms: Apollo 12
• Apollo 12 Lightning Strike at Launch
• Visiting the Surveyor 3 Probe on the Lunar Surface
• The Longest Week: Apollo 13
• The Lunar Module as Space “Lifeboat”
• Role of Engineering in Apollo 13 Rescue
• Investigation of Apollo 13 Explosion
Topics for Discussion
Some discussion of the importance of redundancy in engineering complex systems might provide insight into the structure of the Apollo spacecraft, systems, and control facilities, as well as give rise to the extraordinary individual contributions that the near-disasters of Apollo 12 and 13 required.
Historical Context
Massive antiwar protests
Nixon “Vietnamization” policy
My Lai massacre
Kent State students killed in antiwar protest
Possible Writing Assignments
College
Do some research about one technical aspect of the Apollo spacecraft or systems, and write a paper that clearly describes the technology and its importance to the program.
High School
Write a review of the book Lost Moon (Apollo 13) by astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, or review the movie “Apollo 13” (1995 ) starring Tom Hanks.
K-8
When lightning hit their spacecraft during its launch, the Apollo 12 astronauts had to deal with a sudden loss of electrical power and electric light in their space capsule. Write about what your day would be like if you didn’t have electric light.
Some discussion of the importance of redundancy in engineering complex systems might provide insight into the structure of the Apollo spacecraft, systems, and control facilities, as well as give rise to the extraordinary individual contributions that the near-disasters of Apollo 12 and 13 required.
Historical Context
Massive antiwar protests
Nixon “Vietnamization” policy
My Lai massacre
Kent State students killed in antiwar protest
Possible Writing Assignments
College
Do some research about one technical aspect of the Apollo spacecraft or systems, and write a paper that clearly describes the technology and its importance to the program.
High School
Write a review of the book Lost Moon (Apollo 13) by astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, or review the movie “Apollo 13” (1995 ) starring Tom Hanks.
K-8
When lightning hit their spacecraft during its launch, the Apollo 12 astronauts had to deal with a sudden loss of electrical power and electric light in their space capsule. Write about what your day would be like if you didn’t have electric light.
