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Historical Snapshot

Apollo13.jpg

P. Sullivan, R. Tennyson, I. Glass, B. French, and B. Etkin

Courtesy of University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies

In April 1970, UTIAS faculty assisted in the safe return of the Apollo 13 mission. After an explosion damaged the spacecraft, the mission's astronauts were forced to move into the attached lunar module. In order to safely detach the lunar module from the damaged spacecraft, air pressure calculations were required. UTIAS faculty members - Barry French,  Irving Glass, Ben Etkin, Phil Sullivan, Rod Tennyson and Peter Hughes - were contacted to determine these critical calculations. The team generated these calculations, which helped bring the mission's astronauts home. [14] [15] [16]