[Apollo 13]

FLOEWN SWATCH OF INTERIOR LINING FROM THE LM AQUARIUS, WITH HANDWRITTEN LETTER FROM THE APOLLO 13 CREW

Apollo 13 launched April 11, 1970. The explosion of an oxygen tank damaged the Service Module and led to a loss of power and breathing oxygen to Command Module Odyssey. The Apollo 13 lunar landing mission was cancelled, and Lunar Module Aquarius was used as a 'lifeboat.' During the four days required to fly around the moon and travel back to Earth, the crew had to conserve electrical power and oxygen all the while performing critical LM engine burns to insure their flight path would indeed return them to Earth. 

The Apollo 13 crew safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa on April 17, 1970. To this day, the mission is regarded as evidence of NASA's innovation saving lives on the fly.

Fred Haise's letter reads:

"This small segment of webbing was a portion of the inner wall of Aquarius LM-7. With weight constraints a solid inner wall would have been too heavy! We didn't have much time but I managed to strip all of this material that was held by snaps. Fred Haise / Apollo 13 LMP."