The Mission

April 11, 1970.  Three men suited up for a voyage which would end up to be far more perilous than any other mission.  James Lovell, commander and veteran of three previous missions was to be the fifth man to set foot on the lunar surface, Lovell would leave behind his wife, and four children.  Fred Haise, a rookie, was leaving behind three children, and a pregnant wife, Haise would be the lunar module pilot and be the sixth man to step on the moon.  Jack Swigert would remain in lunar orbit while his crew mates explored the moon's surface at the Fra Mauro highlands.  As the crew lifted off, at 13:13 Houston time, an engine in one of the stages had shut down before it was supposed to, and didn't know if they would have enought power to achieve Earth orbit.  The Saturn V's third stage would later hit the moon's surface, and would be picked up by the seizemometer left by the previous crew.