Apollo 13 is an iconic mission in the history of spaceflight and many books have been written about it. This is a re-issue of the Haynes manual (originally published in 2013) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13 and offers “an engineering insight into how NASA saved the crew of the crippled Moon mission”.
Well-illustrated in typical Haynes style with colour and monochrome photos and graphics from NASA documents of the time, it should satisfy any reader with an interest in the detail of the mission. The story is told in nine chapters covering all phases from pre-launch to recovery, along with an analysis of “what went wrong”. Appendices provide additional engineering detail on the Apollo spacecraft – the command and service module (CSM) and lunar module (LM) - and there is a glossary and an index.
Those who witnessed the almost constant stream of media reporting at the time of the mission will view this half-century anniversary edition with a feeling of déjà vu; younger readers will be amazed at the technology that transported men to the Moon. But whether you view this story as an academic or an enthusiast, there is much to learn as we return to the Moon and venture forth to Mars.
