APOLLO 13

A detailed account of the Apollo 13 space mission.

This book brings to life the period of uncertainty surrounding the return of Apollo 13 by taking readers step by step through the astronauts’ journey, the efforts of the Mission Control team in Houston to bring them home safely, and the anticipation of family members and the entire world as they watched and waited to see if things would worsen or if the astronauts would be saved. Chapter 1 sets the scene with the explosion in space that compromised the mission; Chapter 2 explains the context of the space race and previous successful projects; and chapters 3 through 8 return to the situation on Apollo 13, describing in detail the moments until it landed on Earth and the astronauts were reunited with loved ones. Final chapters profile space travel after Apollo 13 and its legacy. Historical photographs throughout enhance the text. Readers will need to pay close attention in order to follow all of the challenges the astronauts faced and the actions they had to take, but most major dangers are clear, such as the integrity of the heat shield and the availability of oxygen and water. The high stakes make this quite a page-turner. Some readers will skim over technical terms; others will devour every detail.

A powerful narrative of an awe-inspiring event.