What went wrong with Apollo 13?

The Apollo 13 malfunction was caused by an explosion and rupture of oxygen tank no. 2 in the service module. The explosion ruptured a line or damaged a valve in the no. The oxygen tanks were highly insulated spherical tanks which held liquid oxygen with a fill line and heater running down the center.

How many fuel cells died in Apollo 13?

By the time Apollo 13 flew, the mission rules stated that you couldn’t land on the Moon with two fuel cells. So when oxygen tank 2 ruptured on Apollo 13, the crew proceeded with mission rules. Readouts in the spacecraft and in Houston said the oxygen tank and fuel cells 1 and 3 had failed.

What caused the oxygen tank to explode on Apollo 13?

Chain Reaction Leads to Explosion But when Swigert turned on the fans on the second oxygen tank for a routine “cryo stir” on the night of April 13, the damaged wiring caused a spark, starting a fire. At 9:08 pm, with its internal pressure mounting, the tank exploded.

How many fuel cells did Apollo 13 have?

three
The Apollo Command Module’s primary source of electric power was from a set of three “fuel cells” housed in the Service Module. Each fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. The water was used for drinking by the astronaut crew.

What went wrong with Apollo 1?

During a preflight test Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo 1 mission when a fire inside the space capsule caused the death of the three astronauts slated to travel to the moon. The event changed spacecraft design forever.

Who stirred the tanks in Apollo 13?

Jack Swigert
The “bomb” was triggered on the evening of April 13 when ground controllers asked Jack Swigert to turn on the fans inside the service module’s two liquid-oxygen tanks, as a way of stirring the contents, to allow more accurate quantity readings.

How did Apollo 13 fuel cells work?

A set of three fuel cells combined oxygen and hydrogen in the service module. The result of the chemical combining also created water. During Apollo 13, the explosion in an oxygen tank drained the Service Module’s supply of oxygen, leaving the Command Module running only on limited battery power.

What did Apollo use for fuel?

Lift off. Stage One’s five rocket engines burned 20 tonnes of kerosene and hydrogen fuel per second to power Apollo to 42 miles above the Earth.

Did Apollo 1 astronauts burn to death?

During a preflight test for what was to be the first manned Apollo mission, a fire claimed the lives of three U.S. astronauts; Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. After the disaster, the mission was officially designated Apollo 1.

Why did they turn off the reactant valves on Apollo 13?

At the time that they shut off the reactant valves on Apollo 13, they had hopes that the oxygen leak was in one of the fuel cells, and that shutting the reactant valves to fuel cells 1 and 3 would stop the leak and leave them with one good fuel cell, which would allow them to return home safely if nothing else went wrong.

How did the Apollo fuel cells work?

Some quick background: The Apollo spacecraft generated electricity using three fuel cells in the Service Module, which combined hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. The reactant (a.k.a. react) valves could be used to shut off the flow of hydrogen and oxygen to any of the fuel cells.

What caused the oxygen tank to explode in Apollo 13?

The Fuel Cell’s role in Apollo 13 During Apollo 13 a liquid oxygen tank below the fuel cells ignited and ruptured within the service module. The mechanical shock of this rupture caused enough damage that the crew began to notice oxygen leaking out of the support module.

How did the movie Apollo 13 change the story?

One thing the movie ( Apollo 13) changed (intentionally, I’m sure, to keep the action moving along) is that the astronauts didn’t shut off fuel cells 1 and 3 at the same time.