462 a
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

The damaged Service Module drifting into space with the now very distant Moon in the background

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970, 138:06:50 GET

Four unreleased photographs, vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), consecutively numbered “NASA AS13-59- 8540, AS13-59-8541, AS13-59- 8542, AS13-59- 8543” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin

462 b
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

Undocking of the LM Aquarius after final transfer of the crew in the CM Odyssey for re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970, 141:30:00 GET

Three unreleased photographs, vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), numbered “NASA AS13-59-8550, AS13- 59-8559, AS13-59-8561” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin

462 c
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

Reflection of the Earth in the rendezvous window of the LM Aquarius separating from the Command Module

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970, 141:30:00 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), numbered “NASA AS13-59-8554” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin

462 d
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

The lifeboat LM Aquarius drifting into space after jettison

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970, 141:30:30 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), numbered “NASA AS13-59-8575” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

462 a
These views of the severely damaged Service Module were photographed through the 60mm lens from the LM following SM jettisoning prior to Earth reentry.
The Moon is very distant in the background.

138:06:50 Lovell: All right. She’s drifting right down in front of our windows now, Houston.
138:06:55 Kerwin (Mission Control): Okay.
138:08:12 Haise: Okay, Joe, I’m now looking down the SPS bell, and it looks—looks okay on the inside; maybe it is just a streak.
138:08:19 Joe Kerwin: Okay. Copy that, Fred. Was the bell deformed on the outside or just nicked or what?
138:08:33 Jim Lovell: I think the explosion, from what I could see, Joe, had—had stained it. I don’t know whether it did any actual deformation or not.
138:08:41 Kerwin: Okay.
138:09:09: Haise: Man, that’s unbelievable!

462 b
The LM thrusters, the LM docking window (first photograph) and the docking hatch (third photograph) can be seen.

“Due to the unusual spacecraft configuration resulting from retaining the LM, entry procedures had to be modified. First came the separation of the damaged Service Module. Then the Command Module Odyssey was powered up and the crew transferred back to the CM. The LM was then undocked” (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_13/).

“A most remarkable achievement of Mission Control was quickly developing procedures for powering up the CM after its long cold sleep. They wrote the documents for this innovation in three days, instead of the usual three months. We found the CM a cold, clammy tin can when we started to power up. The walls, ceiling, floor, wire harnesses, and panels were all covered with droplets of water. We suspected conditions were the same behind the panels. The
chances of short circuits caused us apprehension, to say the least. But thanks to the safeguards built into the Command Module after the disastrous fire in January 1967, no arcing took place. The droplets furnished one sensation as we decelerated in the atmosphere: it rained inside the CM,” remembered James Lovell (NASA SP-350,p. 262).

141:17:49 Joe Kerwin (Mission Control): Odyssey, Houston. We just had a formal GO for LM JETT at your convenience. Over. [...]
141:26:38 Swigert: Okay, Houston. We’ll punch off at 141 plus 30. [...]
141:28:42 Kerwin: You are GO for PYRO ARM.
141:28:47 Swigert: Real fine.
141:29:51 Swigert: 10 seconds.
141:29:56 Lovell: Five. LM jettison.

462 c
The jettison of the LM Aquarius occured about 11,000 nautical miles over the Earth.
Getting ready for reentry aboard the powered up Command Module Odyssey, the astronauts could see the reflection of the Earth in the docking window of the lifeboat LM which saved their lives.

“Survive we did, but it was close. Our mission was a failure but I like to think it was a successful failure.”
James Lovell (NASA SP-350, p. 247)

462 d
The Lunar Module was undocked just over an hour before splashdown and burned up on re-entry.
From this point, the mission was similar to previous flights, with a safe landing approximately 1 mile from the target point.

141:30:05 Kerwin (Mission Control): Farewell, Aquarius, and we thank you.