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LAURA B. EDGE loves EDGE “Houston,
“Houston,
to read, travel, dance, and
we’ve had a problem.”
watch football games. we’ve had a problem.”
She also enjoys visiting
NASA, conveniently On April 13, 1970, the three astronauts
located near her home aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft were
in Houston, Texas, where headed to the moon when a sudden
she has stood beside a explosion rocked the ship. Oxygen levels
Saturn V rocket, strolled began depleting rapidly. Electrical power
through Mission Control, began to fail. Astronauts James Lovell, Jack
and explored the astronaut training facility with Swigert, and Fred Haise were about to be
family and friends. Laura has taught reading, APOLLO 13 stranded in the inky void of outer space.
writing, math, and computer programming. “If we die we want people to accept it. We hope that if anything
She is the author of fifteen nonfiction books for happens to us it will not delay the program. The conquest of
children and is currently working on a picture The mission to the moon was scrapped.
book and a middle-grade novel. space is worth the risk of life.” Now, Apollo 13’s only goal was to bring the
crew home. With the damaged spacecraft
—GUS GRISSON, NASA astronaut on the Apollo 1 mission hurtling towards the moon at roughly six
thousand miles per hour, there was little
hope of success. But the astronauts and
mission control were fully prepared to do
“If this crew gets back, it will be because of the absolute faith whatever it took to return the crew to Earth.
the crew and the [flight] directors have in each other.” A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE
This space disaster occurred at the peak of
—GLYNN LUNNEY, NASA flight director the United States’ Space Race against the
Soviet Union. But for four days in 1970, the
two nations put aside their differences, and
the entire world watched the skies, hoping
“Never before in the history of man have more people watched and praying the astronauts would return
safely. As missions to Mars and commercial
together, prayed together, and rejoiced together at your safe
space flight become a reality, the time
return than on this occasion.” is now to be reminded of our common
humanity, of how rivals can work together
—RICHARD NIXON, 37 president of the United States (1969–1974)
th
and support each other towards a shared
goal. Because no matter what happens or
An imprint of Lerner Publishing Group where we travel, we all call Earth home.
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Front Cover: Hartmuth Kintzel/500px/Getty Images (moon);
NASA (lunar module). Back cover: NASA. TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

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REINFORCED BINDING

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