2018-02-23 18:58:03 +00:00
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created_at: '2015-04-10T03:45:01.000Z'
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title: Things that Saved Apollo 13 (2010)
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url: http://www.universetoday.com/62339/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13/
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author: bootload
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points: 66
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num_comments: 9
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parent_id:
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created_at_i: 1428637501
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- story
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- author_bootload
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- story_9352475
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objectID: '9352475'
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2018-06-08 12:05:27 +00:00
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year: 2010
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2018-02-23 18:58:03 +00:00
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---
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2018-03-03 09:35:28 +00:00
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On the night of April 13th, 1970, when the oxygen tank in
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[Apollo](https://www.universetoday.com/101793/can-you-solve-this-apollo-1-spacesuit-mystery/)
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13’s command module exploded, a 27-year-old engineer named Jerry
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Woodfill sat at his console in the Mission Evaluation Room at Johnson
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Space Center, monitoring the caution and warning system he helped create
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for the Apollo spacecraft.
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2018-02-23 18:19:40 +00:00
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2018-03-03 09:35:28 +00:00
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“It was 9:08 pm, and I looked at the console because it flickered a few
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times and then I saw a master alarm come on,” Woodfill said, talking
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from his office at JSC where he has worked for almost 45 years.
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“Initially I thought something was wrong with the alarm system or the
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instrumentation, but then I heard Jack Swigert in my headset: “Houston,
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we’ve had a problem,” and then a few moments later, Jim Lovell said the
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same thing.”
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2018-02-23 18:19:40 +00:00
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2018-03-03 09:35:28 +00:00
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And so began the most perilous but eventually triumphant situation ever
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encountered in human spaceflight.
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2010 is the 40th anniversary of Apollo 13, and Universe Today had the
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chance to talk with Woodfill about his role in Apollo 13, a mission
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which many believe should have ended fatally for astronauts Jim Lovell,
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Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert. But it didn’t, and the mission has come to
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be called a “successful failure.”
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2018-02-23 18:19:40 +00:00
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2018-03-03 09:35:28 +00:00
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What things were responsible for that success – the overcoming of odds –
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to rescue of the crew?
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Since Woodfill was there in the thick of the action, he has some ideas
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on how to answer that question. But also, for the past 40 years he has
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studied the Apollo13 mission in intricate detail, examining all the
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various facets of the rescue by going through flight transcripts,
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debriefs, and other documents, plus he’s talked to many other people who
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worked during the mission. Fascinated by the turn of events and
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individuals involved who turned failure into success, Woodfill has come
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up with what he calls “13 Things That Saved Apollo 13.”
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll share Woodfill’s insights and discuss
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each of those 13 turning points. What better way to celebrate the 40th
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anniversary of Apollo 13\!
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But for today, besides giving our readers a preview of what is to come
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the next 13 days, we’ll take this opportunity introduce you to Jerry
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Woodfill.
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While attending Rice University on a basketball scholarship, Woodfill
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was inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s famous “We Choose to go to
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the Moon” speech delivered at Rice. Woodfill turned in his basketball
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shoes and focused on his studies of electrical engineering, hoping to
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become part of the space program.
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He came on board at NASA just in time to work on helping to build the
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Apollo spacecraft.
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“I spent years working with contractors, engineers, flight controllers
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and astronauts on the caution and warning system, or the alarm systems
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for both the lunar lander as well as the command ship,” Woodfill said.
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He compared the alarm system to the lights that come on in an automobile
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when the battery is low or the generator isn’t working. “We had to come
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up with the best means of telling the astronauts they had a problem. We
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had to make sure the alarm system worked right. ”
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Woodfill said that like most of the NASA team, he knew the workings of
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the command ship and lander more intimately than any of his college
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courses would have required, but that prepared him for any problems that
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might arise.
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During the Apollo missions Woodfill worked in the Mission Evaluation
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Room, which is NOT the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) or
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“Mission Control” as it is known. MER was in a building adjacent to
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the Mission Control building. Woodfill has written a [webpage detailing
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the difference between the MER and
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MOCR.](http://www.spaceacts.com/The_MER_Was_Not_the_MOCR.htm)
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“We were an unsung group,” Woodfill said. “We were there for mission
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support. We weren’t flight controllers, but we were experts. For other
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missions that were routine we didn’t play that big of a role, but for
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the Apollo 13 mission, we did play a role.”
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Woodfill tends to downplay both his role and the importance of the MER.
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“Comparing the 1970s era MER to the Mission Operations Control Room
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would be akin to comparing the Queen Mary to a weekend boater’s cabin
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cruiser,” he said. “Likewise, comparing my role in the rescue to Gene
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Kranz and Glen Lunney’s would be more incomparable.”
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For a truly unbiased opinion, however, Chapter 11 of Jim Lovell’s book
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[“Lost
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Moon”](https://www.amazon.com/Apollo-13-Lost-Jim-Lovell/dp/0671534645)(renamed
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Apollo 13 after the movie of the same name came out in 1995) details how
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important the people in the Mission Evaluation Room were. Yes, the
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“MER-men” were important\!
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While many may say the way Apollo 13 turned out was luck or a fortuitous
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turn of events, Woodfill said he tends to lean towards providence.
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Over the next 13 days, perhaps we’ll find out\!
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And if Woodfill’s name is familiar to Universe Today readers, you may
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recall how [he found the “lost” lesson plans of the teacher in space,
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Christa
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McAuliffe,](https://www.universetoday.com/18578/teacher-astronauts-legacy-uncovered-22-yearss-after-challenger-disaster/)
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and brought them “back to life” so to speak, as they are now being used
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by many teachers and Challenger Learning Centers.
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[Listen to an interview of Jerry Woodfill that I did for the 365 Days of
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Astronomy
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podcast.](http://365daysofastronomy.org/2010/04/13/april-13th-the-rescue-of-apollo-13/)
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**Additional Articles in the “13 Things That Saved Apollo 13” that have
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now been posted:**
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Part 1:
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[Timing](https://www.universetoday.com/62362/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-1-timing/)
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[Part 2: The Hatch That Wouldn’t
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Close](https://www.universetoday.com/62516/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-2-the-hatch-that-wouldnt-close/)
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**[Part 3: Charlie Duke’s
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Measles](https://www.universetoday.com/62576/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-3-charlie-dukes-measles/)**
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**[Part 4: Using the LM for
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Propulsion](https://www.universetoday.com/62663/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-4-using-the-lm-for-propulsion/)
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**
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**[Part 5: Unexplained Shutdown of the Saturn V Center
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Engine
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](https://www.universetoday.com/62672/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-5-unexplained-shutdown-of-the-saturn-v-center-engine/)**
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[Part 6: Navigating by Earth’s
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Terminator](https://www.universetoday.com/62763/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-6-navigating-by-earths-terminator/)
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**[Part 7: The Apollo 1
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Fire](https://www.universetoday.com/63064/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-7-the-apollo-1-fire/)**
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[Part 8: The Command Module Wasn’t
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Severed](https://www.universetoday.com/63251/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-8-the-command-module-wasnt-severed/)
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[Part 9: Position of the
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Tanks](https://www.universetoday.com/63342/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-9-position-of-the-tanks/)
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[Part 10: Duct
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Tape](https://www.universetoday.com/63673/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-10-duct-tape/)
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[Part 11: A Hollywood
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Movie](https://www.universetoday.com/63721/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-11-a-hollywood-movie/)
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[Part 12: Lunar Orbit
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Rendezvous](https://www.universetoday.com/63758/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-12-lunar-orbit-rendezvous/)
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[Part 13: The Mission Operations
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Team](https://www.universetoday.com/63951/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-13-the-mission-operations-team/)
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Also:
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[Your Questions about Apollo 13 Answered by Jerry Woodfill
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(Part 1)](https://www.universetoday.com/63986/your-questions-about-apollo-13-answered-by-jerry-woodfill/)
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[More Reader Questions about Apollo 13 Answered by Jerry Woodfill
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(part 2)
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](https://www.universetoday.com/64020/more-of-your-apollo-13-questions-answered-by-jerry-woodfill/)
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[Final Round of Apollo 13 Questions Answered by Jerry Woodfill
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(part 3)](https://www.universetoday.com/64062/final-round-of-apollo-13-questions-answered-by-jerry-woodfill/)
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[Never Before Published Images of Apollo 13’s
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Recovery](https://www.universetoday.com/62966/never-before-published-images-of-apollo-13-recovery/)
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**By [Nancy
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Atkinson](https://www.universetoday.com/author/nancy/ "Posts by Nancy Atkinson")**
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- [**](https://twitter.com/nancy_a)
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[**](https://www.facebook.com/nancy.atkinson4)
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[**](https://plus.google.com/102563035692347750787/)
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[**](https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=18001127&trk=tab_pro)
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[Nancy Atkinson](https://plus.google.com/102563035692347750787/) is
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currently Universe Today's Contributing Editor. Previously she served as
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UT's Senior Editor and lead writer, and has worked with [Astronomy
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Cast](http://www.astronomycast.com/) and 365 Days of Astronomy. Nancy is
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the author of the new book "[Incredible Stories from Space: A
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Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the
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Cosmos](https://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Stories-Space-Behind-Scenes/dp/1624143172)."
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She is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.
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** [Apollo 13](https://www.universetoday.com/tag/apollo-13/), [Jerry
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Woodfill](https://www.universetoday.com/tag/jerry-woodfill/)
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