What critical component of the spacecraft exploded approximately 56 hours into the Apollo 13 flight?
Answer
One of the two Service Module (SM) oxygen tanks
The catastrophic event that crippled the Apollo 13 spacecraft occurred when one of the two liquid oxygen tanks located in the Service Module (SM) exploded. This violent event happened roughly 56 hours into the mission. The explosion was so severe that it not only destroyed the primary oxygen supply but also ruptured the second oxygen tank and caused significant damage to the electrical power sources contained within that same Service Module. This crippling of the SM immediately jeopardized the entire mission's life support and propulsion capabilities, forcing the crew to abandon their primary lunar landing objective.
#Videos
Apollo 13's 'successful failure' explained - YouTube
Related Questions
What critical component of the spacecraft exploded approximately 56 hours into the Apollo 13 flight?Which module, designed for two astronauts for two days, had to sustain three men for a four-day return trip to Earth?What primary objective of Apollo 13 was officially aborted due to the in-flight emergency?What specific substance, insulation covering the wiring, was ignited inside the oxygen tank leading to the explosion?What immediate, life-threatening condition arose from the three crew members breathing inside the constrained Lunar Module?What specific improvised materials were mandated for connecting the square Command Module CO2 canisters to the LM's round receptacles?What phrase is used to globally define the Apollo 13 mission, given the loss of the primary goal but the successful recovery of the crew?What pre-launch activity by ground personnel contributed to the failure by damaging the oxygen tank insulation?Which astronaut's names are listed as the three-person crew aboard the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft?What major lesson learned from the Apollo 13 incident directly prompted significant revisions for later Apollo missions?