Out of This World Secrets About Apollo 13

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“Houston, we have a problem.”

The commander of Apollo 13, Jim Lovell Jr., didn’t verbatim utter those words. However, the line is one of the most iconic movie quotes nonetheless, famously delivered by Tom Hanks (who portrayed Lovell in Ron Howard’s 1995 film “Apollo 13”). The quote, despite not being an exact quote from Lovell, quickly moved beyond the movie and was adopted as a universal phrase for any challenge, big or small.

However, the crisis that fueled the narrative in Apollo 13 was a genuine life-threatening situation for the three astronauts aboard. The intriguing tension from their successive encounters with seemingly insurmountable problems and their eventual resolution is what made the film captivating when it debuted in June 1995, and it remains engaging (and surprisingly suspenseful) even today, 30 years later.

In a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, Hanks stated that Jim Lovell, who passed away on August 7 at the age of 97, was one of those extraordinary individuals who dared to venture where we wouldn’t dare go on our own. He led others into uncharted territories in space for longer than anyone else from Earth.

As a seasoned space traveler, I’ve had the privilege of embarking on four extraordinary voyages to the cosmos. Among these journeys, I will forever cherish the one that took me around the moon during the historic Apollo 8 mission in 1968. The experience was nothing short of breathtaking as I orbited our celestial neighbor, marking a significant milestone in human exploration.

On April 13, 1970, astronauts John Swigert Jr., command module pilot, Fred Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, found themselves about 100,000 miles from Earth. Suddenly, a wiring issue in their oxygen-stirring fan triggered a short circuit that ignited the Teflon insulation, leading to an explosion. As a result, they suffered a quadruple failure, with their oxygen visibly escaping into space.

At the moment of the explosion, no one in space or on Earth could identify the cause. What everyone understood instead was that the crew’s prospects for survival appeared bleak and were rapidly worsening.

Making an authentic movie depicting astronauts facing grave danger requires immense effort and sacrifices such as countless hours of work and skipped meals. Here, we’ve gathered the most fascinating backstage facts about the production of Apollo 13. Enjoy!

As a devoted space enthusiast and follower of the astronauts’ journey, I can attest that Jim Lovell, who passed away in August 2025 at the grand age of 97, was undeniably one of the most cherished among us. Tom Hanks, during an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview in 1995, echoed my sentiments, stating that Jim was remarkably easy-going, a quality that endeared him to many. Indeed, his effortless going-with-the-flow demeanor was renowned among us all.

Additionally, longtime space aficionado Hanks harbored a lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut (which he later fulfilled by hosting and co-producing the 1998 miniseries “From the Earth to the Moon”).

So, spot-on casting choice… check.

2. Apart from being inspired by actual, even more chilling-than-fiction occurrences, the script for this film was developed from the 1994 book “Lost Moon,” authored by Lovell and journalist Jeffrey Kluger, and was co-written by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert.

In this rephrased version, let’s make it more conversational and engaging:

To ensure the film was unique and didn’t use real mission footage, Director Ron Howard opted to build two identical Lunar Module replicas and two Command Modules for the movie. Additionally, iconic news anchor Walter Cronkite was asked to rerecord some of his lines from his CBS broadcasts about the mission’s progress, giving a touch of authenticity to the film.

As a devoted enthusiast, I can proudly say that I’ve been part of the remarkable team at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center’s Space Works. We were the ones who painstakingly crafted the interiors of spacecraft, and yes, you heard it right! We also had the honor of restoring the authentic Apollo 13 command module, a project that I consider a significant milestone in my space exploration journey.

5. Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton trained at the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

6. In the movie, the Apollo 13 crew chose to play “Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ theme song” following their successful takeoff, while in truth they played it from the recently released film, which was also the source of inspiration for naming their command module, “Odyssey,” due to its Homeric connotations.

To create that weightless sensation, actors filmed for 13 days in a gravity-free setting. This was made achievable on NASA’s KC-135 Stratotanker, a Boeing-designed military aircraft used for refueling, affectionately known as the “Vomit Comet.” This unique plane could generate around 23 seconds of weightlessness at a time.

In simpler terms, Hanks described the sensation as if all the blood rushed to his head, making him feel similar to when riding a spinning amusement park ride such as a Rock-O-Plane, where it feels like being spun upside down. Later, he realized that this was likely a feeling of weightlessness.

8. The Saturn V SA-508 rocket, which was responsible for the Apollo 13 mission, indeed took flight at 2:13 PM Eastern Time from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In Houston, it was 1:13 PM (Central Time).

9. Lovell didn’t say “Houston, we have a problem,” exactly.

In recordings from that day, it was Jack Swigert (portrayed by Bacon) who initially informed mission control about an issue, saying, “Houston, we’ve encountered a problem up here.” However, some of his message was unclear, prompting him to repeat what he had said.

Lovell then reiterated, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

Gene Kranz, the Flight Director, didn’t explicitly say “failure is not an option” to his team. However, he did adopt a similar powerful statement that was famously said by Ed Harris in the film for his 2000 autobiography titled “Failure Is Not an Option: A Personal Account of the Heroic Days of Mercury and Apollo.

The authentic Mission Operations Control Room was originally situated within the present-day Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, which used to be known as the Manned Spacecraft Center, in Houston.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to clarify that the character portrayed by Paxton, whose real-life counterpart is Fred Haise, experienced a brief spell of nausea in space – but it wasn’t due to motion sickness. Instead, it was a lingering effect from a virus he had contracted.

Instead of using Beef-a-Roni for what they jokingly called “space vomit,” Paxton found himself eating it due to a wager he lost against Hanks, leaving behind only the remnants in the tin.

It’s been reported that none of the actors on the “Vomit Comet” admitted to vomiting, but some crew members did experience nausea instead.

In the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong had Lovell as his backup. Later, Lovell and his team were rescheduled for the Apollo 14 mission, but they ended up moving ahead in the line of missions.

In his interview with Astronomy magazine, Lovell recounted saying to his wife, “We’ll be leaving on the 13th, not the 14th,” and she responded, “Thirteenth?” To which he explained, “It comes after twelfth.” This detail was later included in a movie.

In an interview with Astronomy magazine, Lovell shared that he told his wife they would be leaving on the 13th instead of the 14th, and she asked, “Thirteenth?” He clarified, “It comes after twelfth.” This tidbit was featured in a movie.

14. Kathleen Quinlan, who first appeared on screen in the 1973 film ‘American Graffiti’ alongside Howard, received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Marilyn Lovell, Jim’s high school sweetheart and wife since 1952. Just like the actors delved into the NASA environment to prepare for their roles, Quinlan researched extensively about what it was truly like being an astronaut’s spouse.

In 2014, Quinlan shared with Smashing Interviews that he had met Marilyn, who was incredibly kind and helpful. He also mentioned that both Jim and Marilyn arranged for him to travel to Houston. Interestingly, it was Jim who piloted the plane, while Marilyn sat in the back, providing coffee – a charming gesture that made the flight quite endearing.

She encountered numerous astronauts’ wives, and it became apparent during these meetings and conversations that they held significant sway over their husbands, not only before they embarked but also in their mental state. They needed to be mentally prepared, and this readiness was largely determined by the support system around them. Marilyn was particularly instrumental in this process.

15. Brad Pitt was reportedly offered the role of Lovell but turned it down to star in Se7en. 

At the age of 32, he was somewhat younger than Lovell, who was 42 during the timeline depicted in the movie.

However, the actor’s choice turned out to be beneficial for all parties, leading him to embark on a space journey in the 2019 film, Ad Astra.

In 1996, although Hanks was only 38 and a few years younger than Lovell’s actual age, his success as a two-time Best Actor Oscar winner for “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump” made him the most sought-after actor globally to play the lead role. However, despite the movie “Apollo 13” being nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, and winning for Best Film Editing and Best Sound in 1996, Hanks’ personal Oscar nomination streak ended that year.

In an extra commentary for the film, Marilyn Lovell essentially expressed that Tom Hanks perfectly captured her husband’s mannerisms, implying that there could be no greater compliment.

Though here’s one more: In 1996, Hanks had an asteroid named after him, the “12818 Tomhanks.”

18. Clint Howard is well-known for his roles in numerous films, many of which are produced by his older brother Ron. His humorous portrayal as Johnson during the suggestive scenes in the Austin Powers trilogy can be seen as a caricature of his character as NASA flight controller Sy Liebergot from Apollo 13, who was responsible for the electrical and environmental systems on the command module.

The minister present with the Lovell family during their anxious wait and prayers for Apollo 13’s safe return is none other than Rance Howard, who serves as their father figure.

20. In the movie, it was Lovell himself who played the captain of the USS Iwo Jima, the ship sent to welcome the Apollo 13 crew back to Earth. Interestingly, he wore his own captain’s uniform for the role. Originally, Howard wanted to depict him as an admiral in the film, but Lovell preferred to accurately represent the rank he held when he left the Navy.

This version maintains the original meaning while using more natural and easy-to-read language.

Lovell stated, “‘I’ll find and wear a captain’s uniform – my own personal one. I’ll polish it up. I’ll attach the actual skipper’s ribbons so it’s genuine, and then I will proceed.’ The uniform was mine. I inspected it to ensure there were no stains on it.

One critique suggested that the movie’s conclusion didn’t ring true: Howard recalled finding a reviewer’s comment after a screening, criticizing the predictable Hollywood ending since, in actuality, the astronauts depicted would not have survived as stated by the film enthusiast but not historian.

Up above, the real Lunar Module ‘Aquarius’ was retrieved by the USS Iwo Jima after it landed in the South Pacific on April 17, 1970.

22. The well-known “square peg in a round hole” scenario, where the ground crew attempted to construct a filter using only the resources available on board the Saturn V spacecraft, is said to have inspired the British television series known as Scrapheap Challenge. When the U.S. adopted this concept, they renamed it Junkyard Wars.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: During a trip to the St. Regis Hotel in New York, the Apollo 13 astronauts were captivated by a stunning 20-by-8-foot mural titled “The Steeds of Apollo.” This artwork left such an impression that it inspired a patch designed by Lumen Martin Winter, which was subsequently worn on the crew’s uniforms as a symbol of their shared inspiration.

In later years, Lovell shared with Hanks that he had noticed the mural was listed for an upcoming art auction in Santa Monica, California. Given this, Rita Wilson (Hanks’ wife) and her mother attended the auction, purchased “The Steeds of Apollo,” and the family generously gifted the painting to Lovell, who then displayed it at his family-owned restaurant, Lovells of Lake Forest, in the Chicago area. Prior to the restaurant’s closure in 2015, Lovell donated the artwork to the Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Chicago.

Ken Mattingly, who had been substituted by Swigert on the crew due to his exposure to rubella and lack of immunity, was stationed in the Mission Control room in Houston during the launch of Apollo 13. However, he later orbited around the moon as part of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.

Ken, currently at the age of 79, has never experienced measles to this day, as he shared during his visit to Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in 2015, just a day following the 45th anniversary of the ocean landing in the South Pacific.

Ken Mattingly, who knew the spacecraft inside and out, happened to be on the ground when the Apollo 13 accident occurred. Haise noted that Mattingly was instrumental in safely returning the crew, stating, “He was a crucial individual in bringing us home.” He added that the movie version had limitations due to time constraints, suggesting it didn’t fully capture all the events that transpired during those critical hours.

In 1995, when the film was released, Barbra Zuanich-Friedman, a reporter who knew Captain Jack Swigert personally, criticized his characterization in the movie as a womanizing adventurer, who supposedly played a supporting role to the heroic Lovell. She also argued that Swigert’s preparedness for the mission was unfairly called into question both before and after the incident on the command module Odyssey.

In a piece for the Los Angeles Times, Zuanich-Friedman expressed disappointment with the one-dimensional characterization of rookie astronaut Swigert, whom he encountered in 1968. According to him, actor Kevin Bacon was compelled to portray Swigert in an uneven manner-initially depicting him as a confident, womanizing bachelor and later revealing him as a nervous, insecure individual who may have felt resentment due to constant scrutiny of his actions for mistakes.

Swigert was a perfect embodiment of good manners, as she noted. He was a shy, cheerful, optimistic, and intense individual. I discovered that his passion for flying, which took hold of him at the age of 14, never waned…It is worth mentioning that he was exceptionally well-suited to assume the challenging role of navigating Apollo 13’s command ship, Odyssey.

So far, Apollo 13 is the second movie out of five that Tom Hanks and Howard have collaborated on. Their successful partnership started with the 1984 romantic comedy Splash, where they portrayed a mermaid and a man out of water respectively.

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2025-08-09 02:48