The crew of Apollo 13 who were involved in an aborted moon landing are welcomed to Ireland.
Apollo 13 crew members James Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise and their wives are welcomed at Dublin Airport by David Andrews, Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach.
The astronauts receive a warm reception from well wishers at the airport. Crowds line the streets of Dublin as their motorcade makes its way through the city centre.
Accompanied by the American ambassador to Ireland and NASA officials (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), the men will also visit Cork and Limerick for a schedule of science events and civic receptions.
Apollo 13 was to be the third USA lunar landing mission, but an oxygen tank explosion while en route to the moon resulted in a life-threatening situation for the three astronauts on board.
The crew dealt with the myriad of problems that ensued, with the support of NASA engineers and flight teams at Apollo Mission Control Centre in Houston, Texas.
Their safe arrival back to earth was a cause for celebration around the world, as their plight had become international news.
Apollo 13 crew member Fred Haise, an aeronautical engineer, former Marine Corps fighter pilot and NASA research pilot describes the feelings of disappointment when they realised that they would not land on the moon.They realised fairly quickly that they would be able to return to earth.
In terms of survival, there wasn’t any particular problem.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 13 October 1970. Some sections of this report have natural sound only.
