Minute 098: A Little Medical Mutiny

Apollo 13 Minute Podcast

GUEST: SPACE HIPSTER EMILY CARNEY

“Okay, Jim. Copy that,” replies the CAPCOM, after Lovell informs Mission Control that he’s no longer wearing his sensors.

Swigert and Haise follow suit, disconnecting their sensors. In Mission Control, the Flight Surgeon’s screen shows three flat lines.

“Flight,” says the Flight Surgeon, “Now I’m losing all three of them!”

Gene Kranz smiles. “It’s just a little medical mutiny, Doc,” says Kranz. “I’m sure the guys are still with us. Let’s cut ’em some slack, okay?”

TITLE:DAY 6

Apollo 13 falls between the Moon and the Earth, the sunshine streaming behind Earth in the blackness of space.

In Mission Control, the GNC’s console shows a plot graph of “GEODETIC ALTITUDE VS. RANGE TO GO.” The dotted line falls to the right of the graph.

” Gene,” says GNC to Kranz,”It’s not the velocity, it’s the angle. I mean maybe, they’re still venting something and that’s throwing off the trajectory, but we are definitely shallow again. We’re up to a 5.9.”

:Damn it,” says Kranz, looking at the graph.

“At this rate,” says FIDO, “they nick the Earth’s atmosphere and bounce off into space. We’ll never get them back.”

FIDO looks at Kranz. “We need another burn to get -” says RETRO.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Christian Clemenson as Flight Surgeon

Ed Harris as Gene Kranz

Mark McClure as Glynn Lunney

Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell

Bill Paxton as Fred Haise

Kevin Bacon as Jack Swigert

Ned Vaughn as CAPCOM – Gold

Gabriel Jarret as GNC

Max Grodénchik as FIDO