Omega Moments: 14 Seconds to the Safe Return of the Apollo 13 Spacecraft Adventure
When the Apollo 13 mission launched on April 11, 1970, no one on board the spacecraft or on the ground expected the thrills and dangers that would follow. Of course, no one expected that the key to helping the astronauts return successfully would be how to accurately measure 14 seconds without electronic instruments. Thanks to Omega's precise mechanical timing technology for more than a hundred years, the astronauts can rely on the ultra-precise watch on their wrists. The Pa Chronograph can finally return to Earth safely today (April 17) 53 years ago.
This will be the third moon landing in human history and the next successful chapter of the Apollo program. The three astronauts including James Lovell, command module pilot Jack Swigert and lunar craft pilot Fred Haise are equipped with Omega Speedmaster professional chronographs-this watch has been launched since The 1965 is the official equipment for all NASA manned missions.
As ever, these watches were issued as key tools in mission equipment. As NASA engineer James Ragan, who first tested and certified the Omega Speedmaster wrist watches for men in 1964, said: "The watch is an important backup. When the astronauts cannot contact the ground or the digital timer fails, they can rely on it. The most important thing is the watch on your hand. When something goes wrong, the watch is critical.”
In fact, just two days after launch, Apollo 13 had a major problem. An oxygen tank on the ship exploded, causing the service module to malfunction and leaving the astronauts in a precarious condition. The mission to the moon was aborted, and the focus now was on getting the astronauts back safely. An innovative rescue strategy led by Houston included moving the astronauts to the lunar module. However, the design of the space capsule cannot support so many people staying for such a long time, so in order to save energy, the crew almost turned off all electrical appliances - resulting in the digital timer not working, leaving the astronauts in darkness and cold.
Over the next few days, Apollo 13 faced many serious challenges, and NASA worked tirelessly to find a solution to this increasingly critical situation. And at the last hurdle, the most important precision of Omega watches played a key role.swiss watch men
Because the mission was about 60 to 80 nautical miles off its original orbit, this meant that the lunar module would re-enter Earth's atmosphere at the wrong angle and be bounced back into space irretrievably. Therefore, in order to manually adjust the course of the lunar lander, the engine fuel must be allowed to burn for a full 14 seconds, and there is absolutely no room for error. Without a digital chronograph, Swigert used his Omega Speedmaster chronograph to measure the burn time, while Lovell corrected the lunar module's course with reference to the Earth's horizon. As mission commander Lowell later said: "We used the Omega wristwatch that Swigert was wearing. I was in control of the spacecraft, and Swigert was timing the engine burns to correct the course and get us home safely. .”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that this unique operation was perfectly successful. Finally, 142 hours and 54 minutes after the Apollo 13 liftoff, the lunar module landed safely in the South Pacific on April 17, and the Omega cheap watches for sale completed its mission and played its due role.
In order to thank Omega for its contribution to the success of manned space missions, NASA awarded the "Silver Snoopy Medal" to Omega on October 5, 1970 later that year. In establishing the award, NASA chose Snoopy as its unofficial mascot because of Snoopy's ability to remain calm and composed in challenging situations. Snoopy also symbolizes mission success and serves as a "guardian dog".
The Omega Speedmaster Chronograph, which was awarded the NASA "Silver Snoopy Medal", is the best partner to protect the astronauts.
Today, this sterling silver pin badge still highlights Omega's space exploration history, especially the brand's role in the "successful failed mission" of Apollo 13.
The true story of Apollo 13 led to the release of the Hollywood blockbuster "Apollo 13" in 1995. This space drama-style documentary film was directed by Lang. Howard directed, Kevin. Bacon, Tom. Hanks, Bill. Paston, Gary. Sinitz, Ed. Harris and other leading actors, interested readers may wish to find out.cheap luxury watches
