Page 6 - My FlipBook

exposed the primary crew to the
disease. Blood tests revealed that
Lovell and Haise were immune to
German measles. Mattingly’s blood
test was inconclusive. Possibly,
he could become sick during the
spaceflight. Officials at the Kennedy
Space Center felt it was too risky,
so backup astronaut Swigert
replaced Mattingly.
As a backup astronaut for the
Apollo 13 mission, Swigert had Fred W. Haise Jr., Apollo 13 Lunar
Module Pilot
trained alongside the primary crew
for more than a year. Mere days
before liftoff, he drilled rigorously with his new crew to prepare
for the flight. The highly skilled pilot got his private pilot license
at the age of sixteen. His degrees in mechanical and aerospace
engineering provided Swigert with the knowledge and confidence
to step into his new role on short notice. His service in the air
force as a fighter pilot and test pilot proved he had the steely
nerves required for a trip to
outer space.
Teams of engineers,
scientists, and mathematicians
worked at the National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Mission
Control Center in Houston, Texas.
They monitored every second of
the spaceflight, solving problems,
adjusting equipment, and
helping the astronauts keep the
John “Jack” L. Swigert Jr., Apollo 13 complicated spacecraft running
Command Module Pilot
smoothly.

Apollo 13 6