Critical Essay Intro to Apollo 13

At some point in our youth, every child has entertained the idea of walking the surface of a planet only graced by the footsteps of a handful of select individuals. Jack Swigert, Fred Haise, and Jim Lovell train for this moment in the NASA program, but alas Apollo 13 is the first aborted Apollo mission. There are scarcely words that can describe the disappointment of these three men, but at the time, that was only a minor adversity during their space mission. The malfunctions of the lunar module Aquarius not only surprise Houston, but it leads the crew to experience many close encounters with death. In Apollo 13, director Ron Howard shows that in times of desperation, people must contribute their resourcefulness in a team effort in order to prevail over adversity. In other words, the cooperation of determined individuals can overcome many obstacles. These instances are witnessed onboard the Aquarius and within the NASA command center as both land and space crews work cohesively to conquer doubt and bring the 3 astronauts back to Earth. Many times during the mission, the 3 astronauts are unable to navigate through space and NASA headquarters reacts by assembling a team of able-bodied scientists and engineers to devise a solution. In addition, Lovell, Swigert and Haise struggle with further mishaps and quarrels in space, so gradually, they adjust to life on board the lunar module and work together to stabilize conditions and learn to prioritize their survival over their differences. Finally, despite being decommissioned from Apollo 13, Ken Mattingly more than willingly joins the NASA team in working out a re-entry path and plan for the astronauts. The abilities of all these individuals to dedicate themselves towards a worthy cause are what brought three great men home.