History Trivia / Apollo13

* The cracked wires that caused the explosion weren't actually a defect as the movie said, they were caused by an accident. The thermostat was wrong; the spacecraft had been slightly modified from earlier versions, but somehow the thermostat wasn't swapped out. It couldn't handle the current that went through it during ground testing and there was also a problem with a crooked vent tube due to the tanks being dropped during construction. In the end, the thermostat fused shut and couldn't turn off the heat when the tanks overheated. The heat climbed high enough to melt the coating on the wires, but as long as the tank was filled with liquid oxygen, it was too cold to cause a problem. By the time of the explosion, enough oxygen had been used to expose the wires and allow the spark.

** [[TheHuntForRedOctober Seaman Beaumont]] is CAPCOM Gold.

* TheCameo: Aside from Ron Howard's relatives, he also put in movie producer Roger Corman (as the congressman who questions continuing the Apollo program) and Todd Hallowell, the film's Executive Producer, (as the guy that yells at Jim Lovell at a traffic light).
** WalterCronkite does the prologue narration.
** You're forgetting the biggest cameo in the whole film. During the ending narration, Lovell is seen shaking hands with the captain of the USS Iwo Jima -- played by ''the real Jim Lovell.''

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: KevinCostner was considered to star as Jim Lovell, who the real Lovell considered a good physical match with him at that time.

*** Even funnier is that he could've flown to the Moon with ''Film/ForrestGump''.

** [[TheHuntForRedOctober Seaman Beaumont]] is Capcom Gold.

** Hey, did the astronauts just tell one of [[{{Lost}} the Others]] "Houston, we have a problem here?"

*** Even funnier is that he could've flown to the Moon with Forrest Gump.

** The older Lovell daughter was the actress who played Nadine in ''Film/FreeWilly 2''

** The older Lovell daughter was the actress who played Nadine in ''FreeWilly2''

* ThrowItIn: Fred Haise's line "I could eat the ass out of a dead rhinoceros was suggested by Gary Busey, who was visiting the set during filming.

** [[AirForceOne Agent Gibbs]] does public relations for NASA.

** [[{{CSINY}} Mac Taylor]] is doing the reentry procedures. Or [[ForrestGump Lt.Dan]]. Take your pick.

** [[{{Bones}} Russ Brennan]] is John Aaron, EECOM Arthur

** [[Series/}}StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Balok]] is EECOM.
** [[{{Bones Russ Brennan]] is John Aaron, EECOM Arthur

** [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Balok]] is EECOM.
** [[Series/Bones Russ Brennan]] is John Aaron, EECOM Arthur

** [[{{CSINY}} Mac Taylor]] is doing the reentry procedures. Or [[ForrestGump Lt.Dan]]. Take your pick. Especially since Forrest himself is Jim Lovell lol.

* At one point in the film, Fred Haise (played by Bill Paxton) wonders what then gender of his unborn child would be. It was a boy, Thomas J., born on July 6, 1970.

** [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Rom]] realizes that the crew has to do another burn to correct their entry angle.
** [[StarTrekTOS Balok]] is EECOM.

** [[RealGenius Mitch Taylor]] has grown up to handle GNC.

** I wonder if [[{{NCIS}} Agent Fornell]] is really part of Mission Control or if he's simply on another FBI job...

* The cracked wires that caused the explosion weren't actually a defect as the movie said, they were caused by an accident. The thermostat was wrong; the spacecraft had been slightly modified from earlier versions, but somehow the thermostat wasn't swapped out. It couldn't handle the current that went through it during ground testing and there was also a problem with a crooked vent tube due to the tanks being dropped during construction. In the end, the thermostat fused shut and couldn't turn off the heat when the tanks overheated. The heat climbed high enough to melt the coating on the wires, but as long as the tank was filled with liquid oxygen, it was too cold to cause a problem. By the time of the explosion, enough oxygen had been used to expose the wires and allow the spark.

There's a book about the making of the film and the actual mission. "Apollo 13: To The Edge And Back". Tidbits:
* The actors actually rode the Vomit Comet, and the weightless scenes were filmed there. Gary Sinise came along despite not playing the character who gut bumped, and he was the only one to actually get sick during the first trip.
* The Lunar Module scenes post-explosion were filmed by using giant fans to create a cold environment. And the actors didn't have any extra clothing, either, just the thin flight suit costumes. (Yes, the ice on the windows and the cold breath is real).
* The filmmakers played a trick with an animated frog hanging onto the Lunar Module leg during one of the screenings of the scene just after the explosion.
* Astronaut Dave Scott was a consultant, and so was one of the former flight directors, whose son was one of guys working on the film. This troper thinks it's Lunney, but isn't certain.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: KevinCostner was considered to star as Jim Lovell, who the real Lovell considered a good physical match with him at that time.

** [[{{CSINY Mac Taylor}}]] is doing the reentry procedures. Or [[ForrestGump Lt.Dan]]. Take your pick. Especially since Forrest himself is Jim Lovell lol.

** [[CSINY Mac Taylor]] is doing the reentry procedures. Or [[ForrestGump Lt.Dan]]. Take your pick.