THIS DAY IN HISTORY:
Ill-Fated Apollo 13 Spacecraft Returns to Earth Safely (1970)
Less than a year after the first lunar landing, Apollo 13 departed for the moon. Two days into the mission, an oxygen tank exploded, severely damaging the spacecraft's electrical system, and the landing had to be aborted. Despite limited power, loss of cabin heat, a shortage of potable water, and the need to improvise a carbon dioxide removal system, the craft returned safely to Earth. The immortal line from the mission—"Houston, we have a problem"—is a misquote.