On April 11, 1970, three Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell (portrayed by Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) — were finally getting a shot at fulfilling their own dreams of going to the moon. Lovell announced this would be his final mission before retirement.
Back in Houston, astronaut Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) was feeling sorry for himself after being grounded from Apollo 13 due to medical reasons. Little did he know the key role he was about to play in the lives of his fellow astronauts.
The NASA broadcast showing the astronauts giving the American public a tour from outer space was bumped from programming due to lack of interest from the networks. But, during a routine equipment check, Lovell’s simple, heart-stopping message crackled across the radio “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” While over 320,000 kilometers from Earth, an oxygen tank aboard the spacecraft had exploded, severely damaging the service module and leaving the command module without power or air. Stranded in space, the astronauts faced the grim reality that they might never return to earth.
Although oxygen supplies were adequate, the system for removing carbon dioxide in the lunar module was not. A team in Houston set about improvising a way to use canisters and materials available in the spacecraft to filter out the carbon dioxide. Flight Director, Gene Kranz (portrayed by Ed Harris) and Houston’s team of engineers must work out a new flight plan that would minimize the consumption of oxygen, water and electricity while keeping vital systems operating.
After five and a half hours of weighing the choices and their consequences, flight directors met with NASA and contractor officials and presented their findings and recommendations. With time running out, the revised reentry sequence was practiced by Mattingly in a training module and read to the Apollo 13 crew via radio to give them time to review and practice.
The three astronauts would have to move into the lunar module, Aquarius, which was only designed for two and attempt a tricky loop around the moon using Aquarius’ engines which had been intended for the lunar landing. The lunar module was not equipped to handle reentry into the earth’s atmosphere, so the astronauts would have to use the battery-powered command module for that purpose.
As commander of the mission, Lovell was a great example of a leader putting rational problem- solving into action. After identifying the problem, he and the NASA team had to evaluate and choose alternatives. Lovell not only effectively dealt with conflict between Haise and Swigert as tension ran high, he also battled his own disappointment over the failed mission. He encouraged his team to establish and focus on a new goal — a safe return to earth.
The NASA team and family members listened in rapt attention as communication was lost with the Apollo 13 capsule as it attempted to survive a fiery re-entry through the earth’s atmosphere. A collective sigh of relief was breathed when Lovell’s voice came across the radio as the capsule safely splashed down near the recovery ship. Three tired, chilled astronauts boarded the U.S.S. Iwo Jima on April 17, six days after originally starting their ill-fated mission.
Before viewing the movie, students should read and discuss, “The Rational Problem-Solving Process, by James A.F. Stoner and R. Edward Freeman. Lovell’s actions reflect the concepts discussed in Unit IV in the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies text. He also proves that “implementing a decision involves more that giving appropriate orders.” Available resources have to be used efficiently, and potential risks and uncertainties must be faced.
Stoner and Freeman outline and explain four steps in the rational problem-solving process. These steps involve: (1) Investigating the situation; (2) Developing Alternatives; (3) Evaluating the alternatives and selecting the best one; and (4) Implementing and monitoring the decision.
You will find that a similar problem-solving process is used aboard Apollo 13 as Lovell, Haise and Swigert weather some pretty heavy-duty problems and still make it through.
The movie Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard, is based on the book, Lost Moon, written by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Cutline: Apollo 13 astronauts, clockwise, from top, Jim Lovell (portrayed by Tom Hanks), Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) focus on a new goal a safe return to earth.
