IJMC Top Ten Technical Errors in "Apollo 13"

	      IJMC - Top Ten Technical Errors in "Apollo 13"

If anyone else has any questions that they would like to ask the 
Smithsonian, send them in now. I plan to compile the top ten this weekend 
and send it out...send all questions to me at eatheror@netcom.com. In the 
meantime, enjoy reading about the details that Mr. Howard missed in 
Apollo 13...although if you asked me, I think he did just fine.     -dave




Top Ten TECHNICAL ERRORS/ANACHRONISMS in the movie "Apollo 13"

 - compiled by a bunch of genuine NASA dweebs who actually noticed these
   things (with two minor corrections).
=========================================================
10. The NASA "worm" logo appears on a glass door.
    The logo was not developed until 1976.

9. One engineer checks an astronaut's addition using a slide rule.
   Slide rules are not used for addition.

8. Jim Lovell's license plate is new.

7. The astronauts point out the Sea of Tranquility while on the far
side of the moon. It is on the other side.

6. A technician at the cape is wearing a Rockwell International logo on
his coveralls. The Apollo capsule was built by North American, which did
not become Rockwell International until after the Apollo program.

5. The gantry arms for the Saturn V are released in unison, not one at a
time.

4. During entry, the spacecraft is shown hurling directly at the earth.
At that angle, it would punch a brief but fiery hole through the
atmosphere.  It should be aiming towards the horizon.

3. The paint pattern on the Saturn V is for the test configuration, not
the launch configuration.

2. The astronauts look at their intended landing site while on the far
side of the moon. It is a good thing they didn't land - no communications
with Earth.

AND THE NUMBER ONE TECHNICAL ERROR/ANACHRONISM in APOLLO 13 is:

1. In space, from outside the capsule, propulsion jets do not make any
noise.


IJMC November 1995 Archives