1.
LV CARRIER(2 SHOTS)
0.10

2.
GV CARRIER'S BRIDGE
0.11

3.
GROUND-TO-AIR HELICOPTER
0.14

4.
GV SKY
0.19

5.
MV SHIP'S CREW
0.21

6.
GROUND-TO-AIR. APOLLO 13 CAPSULE DESCENDS & SPLASHES DOWN (5 SHOTS)
1.22

7.
GV INT. MISSION CONTROL, HOUSTON
1.25

8.
MV CAPSULE IN WATER
1.31

9.
LV ZOOM IN CAPSULE IN WATER
1.38

10.
MV DIVER IN WATER (2 SHOTS)
1.47

11.
SV SHIP'S CREW WATCH
1.50

12.
MV & SV FLOATATION COLLAR INTO WATER (2 SHOTS)
1.57

13.
GV COLLAR ATTACHED
2.02

14.
GV HELICOPTERS
2.05

15.
GV RAFT IN POSITION BY CAPSULE
2.08

16.
GV HELICOPTERS
2.11

17.
TWO ASTRONAUTS IN RAFT, THIRD JOINS THEM
2.32

18.
GV HAISE WINCHED TO HELICOPTER (4 SHOTS)
2.45

19.
GV SWIGERT DITTO (2 SHOTS)
2.54

20.
GV LOVELL DITTO (4 SHOTS)
3.14

21.
SV & GV HELICOPTER COMES IN TO LAND ON CARRIER (3 SHOTS)
3.28

22.
GV MISSION CONTROL WATCHING TOUCHDOWN ON SCREEN
3.39

23.
SV ASTRONAUTS AT WINDOW
3.42

24.
GV DOOR OPENS, ASTRONAUTS OUT
4.03

25.
SCU ASTRONAUTS WALK TO MEET CAPTAIN OF CARRIER
4.22



Initials JH/V-TELE/PW/SGM


WE APOLOGISE FOR OCCASIONAL BREAKUP IN PICTURE WHICH IS OUT OF SATELLITE TRANSMISSION.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: APOLLO 13 ASTRONAUTS JIM LOVELL, JACK SWIGERT AND FRED HAISE SPLASHED DOWN WITH NEAR-PERFECT ACCURACY IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN ON FRIDAY(17 APRIL) AFTER A FLIGHT WHICH WAS MAN'S CLOSEST BRUSH WITH DEATH IN DEEP SPACE. THE SCORCHED CAPSULE, CALLED "ODYSSEY" CAME DOWN ONLY ABOUT FOUR MILES(7 KMS) FROM THE PRIME RECOVERY SHIP,THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER IWO JIMA.

MOMENTS AFTER SPLASHDOWN IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN 600 MILES (1,800 KMS) SOUTHEAST OF SAMOA, NAVY DIVERS ATTACHED A SEA ANCHOR AND A FLOATATION COLLA TO RIGHT THE BOBBING SPACE CAPSULE. THEN HELICOPTER 66, WHICH HAS BEEN USED IN A NUMBER OF PREVIOUS RECOVERY OPERATIONS, HAULED THE ASTRONAUTS ABOARD AND BACK TO THE CARRIER. FIRST TO BE PICKED UP WAS LUNAR MODULE PILOT FRED HAISE, THEN COMMAND MODULE PILOT JACK SWIGERT, AND FINALLY MISSION COMMANDER JIM LOVELL.

UPON ARRIVAL, A RED CARPET WAS UNROLLED AND THE NAVY BAND ABOARD THE CARRIER STRUCK UP THE TUNE "AQUARIUS", FROM THE HIPPIE MUSICAL "HAIR", IN HONOUR OF THE LUNAR MODULE, THE LITTLE CRAFT WHOSE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM KEPT THE ASTRONAUTS ALIVE EVER SINCE THE ACCIDENT WHICH NEARLY KILLED THEM ON MONDAY (13 APRIL).

EARLIER ON FRIDAY, THE ASTRONAUTS CARRIED OUT THE VITAL MANOEUVRE OF JETTISONING THE SERVICE MODULE, THE PART OF THE SPACECRAFT WHICH WAS WRECKED BY THE EXPLOSION ON MONDAY. THE MEN REPORTED THAT AN ENTIRE SIDE PANEL OF THE MODULE HAD BEEN RIPPED OUT BY THE BLAST.

LATER, THEY JETTISONED THE LUNAR MODULE INT HE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE -- IN WHICH IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO OPERATE. THE MODULE'S DESCENT ENGINE HAD BECOME THE MAIN SOURCE OF THRUST FOR THE TRIP HOME. IT FIRED THE ASTRONAUTS ROUND THE MOON AND CORRECTED THEIR PATH DIRECTLY DOWN THE INVISIBLE SPACE CORRIDOR TOWARDS EARTH RE-ENTRY. THE CRAFT'S SIX BATTERIES PROVIDED POWER FOR HEAT, COMMUNICATIONS AND AIR CIRCULATION.

THEIR SAFE RETURN UNLEASHED A FLOOD OF RELIEF AROUND THE WORLD AND CHEERS ROSE IN MISSION CONTROL, IN HOUSTON.

THREE OF THE LUCKIEST MEN IN THE SPACE BUSINESS -- WHO BLASTED OFF AT 1313 HOUSTON TIME IN APOLLO 13 AND SUFFERED A NEAR-DISASTROUS ACCIDENT ON 13 APRIL -- HAD RETURNED UNSCRATCHED TO A WORLD WHICH HARDLY DARED HOPE TO SEE THEN AGAIN.