April 5, 2010 - View From The Far Side

Published in cooperation with The Planetary Society

Spend the year in space, one week at a time

Recent Weeks

January 30, 2012 - Lunar Orbiter Liftoff

January 23, 2012 - Magellan Turns up the Stereo

January 16, 2012 - Southern Sibling Sees Stars

January 9, 2012 - Hitching a Ride Home

January 2, 2012 - Transforming the Space Frontier

December 26, 2011 - These Laws Can't Be Broken

December 19, 2011 - Long and Winding Road

December 12, 2011 - Blast from the Past

December 5, 2011 - It’s Just Like Folding a Map

November 28, 2011 - A Warmer, Wetter Mars

November 21, 2011 - Spy in the Sky

November 14, 2011 - The Dark Side of Nebulosity

November 7, 2011 - End of an Era

October 31, 2011 - Final Service Call

October 24, 2011 - STEREO Transit

October 17, 2011 - Observatory Mashup

October 10, 2011 - Brewing up a New Moon

October 3, 2011 - Special Delivery

September 26, 2011 - Tadpoles in Space

September 19, 2011 - International Sunrise

September 12, 2011 - Twins over India

September 5, 2011 - Belly of the Beast

August 29, 2011 - High Resolution

August 22, 2011 - Playing Host

August 15, 2011 - Royal Astronomer

August 8, 2011 - New Life for Leonardo

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Weekly photo essay
Daily Moon phases
Night sky events
Space trivia
Holidays
Room for notes/appts

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The Week in Space

April 5-11, 2010

View from the Far Side Forty years ago this week a mission began that held the world’s attention as no other before or since. Halfway to the Moon, an oxygen tank in Apollo 13’s service module ruptured, destroying three fuel cells that generated power for the crew. To conserve what little power and oxygen was left, all but the most essential systems were shut down, and astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise had to rely on their lunar module, Aquarius, as a lifeboat. It was only designed to support two astronauts for two days on the lunar surface, but Aquarius kept all three astronauts alive in space for almost four days. Although their lunar landing was aborted, the crew returned safely to Earth and managed to obtain some fine images of the lunar far side during their one swing behind the Moon.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

April 5-11, 2010

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 5

Easter Monday (Canada)

1973: Pioneer 11 launched
1975: Soyuz 18-1, first in-flight abort
1990: Pegsat launched
1991: STS-37 Atlantis launched

Tuesday 6

Last Quarter Moon 5:37 AM ET
Pluto appears stationary

1965: Early Bird (Intelsat 1) launched
1984: STS-41C Challenger launched

Wednesday 7

Vesta appears stationary

1991: Compton Gamma Ray Observatory deployed
2001: Mars Odyssey Orbiter launched
2007: ISS Expedition 15 crew launched

Thursday 8

Mercury at greatest elongation (19° E)
Moon at apogee

1964: Gemini I launched
1966: OAO-1 launched
1993: STS-56 Discovery launched
2002: STS-110 Atlantis launched
2008: ISS Expedition 17 crew launched