The Old Sailors' Tool That Saved Apollo 13

The video discusses the Apollo 13 mission, highlighting the challenges faced due to an oxygen tank explosion. It explains how astronauts used a sextant, a tool historically used by sailors, for navigation in space. The sextant was crucial for manual navigation during emergencies, as demonstrated in both Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 missions. The video emphasizes the importance of having backup plans and the potential future use of sextants in deep space missions.

What was the main reason Apollo 13 is remembered in history?

• It was the first successful moon landing.

• The mission faced a critical failure but returned safely.

• It was the longest space mission of its time.

• The spacecraft was the largest ever built.

How did the astronauts plan to return to Earth after the explosion?

• By manually flying the spacecraft back.

• By using a backup spacecraft.

• By waiting for a rescue mission.

• By using the moon's gravity to slingshot back.

What is a sextant primarily used for?

• Repairing spacecraft components.

• Navigating by measuring angles between celestial bodies.

• Communicating with ground control.

• Measuring temperature in space.

How did the Apollo sextant differ from traditional sextants?

• It was used only for communication.

• It was powered by solar energy.

• It used a digital display instead of crosshairs.

• It was designed to work without a horizon.

Why was the Apollo sextant considered reliable during missions?

• It could operate underwater.

• It was lightweight and had few moving parts.

• It was made of indestructible materials.

• It was powered by nuclear energy.

What backup method did Jim Lovell use during Apollo 8?

• He relied on visual cues from the moon.

• He manually aligned the sextant with Earth's day-night line.

• He used a secondary computer system.

• He used a digital map.

What future plans does NASA have for sextants?

• To use them for underwater navigation.

• To use them as a primary tool for Earth missions.

• To incorporate them into autonomous deep space missions.

• To replace all digital navigation systems.