13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle cover image

Apollo 13: 4. Power brokers

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

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The PC Plus 2 Burn Was a Critical Manoeuvre

We calculated that we could do it using the decent engine on the lunar module, get them home about a day earlier and also get the landing point back in the Pacific close enough. We came up with this PC plus two, was Paris-Sinthian, which is point of closest approach to the moon plus two hours. So go around the moon two hours later, do this manoeuvre. It would be a long burn with the engine firing for four and a half minutes but it would get them back 10 hours earlier. The PC Plus 2 burn was one of the most critical maneuvers of the whole mission. But that decision and the shape of the solution was left to the young flight controllers in

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