Apollo 13

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/apollo-13

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mission name?Apollo 13
2. What is the launch date?April 11, 1970
3. What happened to the Apollo 13 spacecraft during its trip to the Moon?An oxygen tank exploded, damaging the Service Module and its life‑support systems. The crew had to abandon the damaged module and use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat.
4. Why did the astronauts have to use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat?The Service Module became inoperable after the explosion, so the crew had to retreat to the Lunar Module, which was designed for a short lunar surface stay but could support them instead.

Service Module (SM): The section of the Apollo spacecraft containing propulsion, electrical power, and oxygen.
Lunar Module (LM): The spacecraft designed to land on the Moon and return to lunar orbit.
Command Module (CM): The primary crew compartment of the Apollo spacecraft, used for launch, transit, and reentry.
Circumunlar trajectory: An orbital path that circles around a celestial body, in this case, the Moon.