333. [Apollo 13] CELEBRATIONS AT MISSION CONTROL AFTER THE ASTRONAUTS' SAFE RETURN NASA, 17 April 1970 Printed 1970. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA S-70-35472]. With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA S-70-35472" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context A Wave of Relief and Celebration in Mission Control as Apollo 13 Returns Home. Engineers, flight controllers, and NASA officials erupt in applause after guiding the crippled spacecraft through one of the most harrowing rescues in spaceflight history. Flight directors Gerald Griffin, Eugene Kranz, and Glynn Lunney remain at their consoles, absorbing the magnitude of their achievement. Robert Gilruth, Director of the Manned Spacecraft Centre, and Christopher Kraft, the first director of Mission Control, light cigars in celebration. Nearby, NASA Administrator Thomas Paine, former Apollo Program Director Samuel Phillips, and Associate NASA Administrator George Low join their colleagues in applause. The success of Apollo 13 was not just a testament to the resilience of its crew—James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise—but also to the tireless dedication and ingenuity of the men and women in Mission Control. As NASA legend Gene Kranz famously wrote, "Failure is not an option." Across America and around the world, millions joined in this moment of triumph, watching as three astronauts who had defied impossible odds returned safely home. "To get Apollo 13 home would require a lot of innovation. Most of the material written about our mission describes the ground-based activities, and I certainly agree that without the splendid people in Mission Control, and their backups, we'd still be up there." —James Lovell (NASA SP-350, p. 13.2)