463 a
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

The Command Module Odyssey landing in the Pacific Ocean after the most perilous journey of the entire Apollo program

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970, 142:54:56 GET

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA MSC caption and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-70-35638” in red in top margin

463 b
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Recovery of the astronauts in the Pacific Ocean

Apollo 13, April 17, 1970

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC caption on the verso

463 c
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

President Nixon welcoming the astronauts in Hawaii after their safe return

Apollo 13, April 18, 1970

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC caption on the verso
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

463 a
[NASA caption] A perilous space mission comes to a smooth ending with the safe splashdown of the Apollo 13 Command Module (CM) in the South Pacific at 12:07:44 p.m. (CST), April 17, 1970.

“We splashed down gently in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa, a beautiful landing in a blue-ink ocean on a lovely, lovely planet,” said James Lovell (NASA SP-350, p. 263).

463 b
NAVY divers prepare to assist the astronauts out of their crippled Command Module, into an awaiting life raft, shortly after splashdown. Still aboard the CM are James Lovell and Fred Haise. John Swigert is preparing to exit the CM. A Navy helicopter is waiting to take the astronauts to the prime recovery ship, the USS Iwo Jima.

“I was incredibly relieved to think that we got back. And then I thought to myself as I was bobbing around and before I got out of the spacecraft — you know we are kind of fortunate because if that explosion had occurred just after we committed ourselves to that high velocity to go to the Moon, we would never have had enough electrical power to get all the way home again. We would have been out of electrical power. And if that explosion had occurred after we got into lunar orbit or Fred and I were on the lunar surface and came up, we’d never have enough fuel to get out of lunar orbit and to get back home again. So if we had to have an explosion on the way to the Moon, that was the time to have it”, said James Lovell (2015 interview with Astronomy Magazine).

463 c
“Nobody believes me”, said James Lovell, “but during this six-day odyssey we had no idea what an impression Apollo 13 made on the people of Earth. We never dreamed a billion people were following us on television and radio, and reading about us in banner headlines of every newspaper published. We still missed the point on board the carrier Iwo Jima, which picked us up, because the sailors had been as remote from the media as we were. Only when we reached Honolulu did we comprehend our impact: there we found President Nixon and Dr. Paine to meet us, along with my wife Marilyn, Fred’s wife Mary (who being pregnant, also had a doctor along just in case), and bachelor Jack’s parents, in lieu of his usual airline stewardesses” (NASA SP- 350, p. 263).