334. [Apollo 13] THE MIRACULOUS RETURN OF CM ODYSSEY: parachuting safely through the clouds after a harrowing mission NASA, 17 April 1970 Printed 1970. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-70-35652]. Numbered "NASA S-70-35652" in red in the top margin, with NASA caption and "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context A symbol of survival and triumph. Suspended beneath three red-and-white parachutes, Odyssey drifts through the clouds toward its final destination—the blue Earth and its vast Pacific Ocean. This hauntingly beautiful image captures the final moments of Apollo 13's extraordinary survival story. Now, against all odds, the battered spacecraft is moments from splashdown, a testament to human ingenuity, teamwork, and perseverance. As millions watched on live television, Odyssey fell gently toward the South Pacific, carrying James A. Lovell Jr., John L. Swigert Jr., and Fred W. Haise Jr. safely home. The spacecraft touched down about four miles from the USS Iwo Jima, the prime recovery ship for the mission. The mission had failed to land on the Moon, but Apollo 13 became one of the greatest triumphs in space history—a story of courage, quick thinking, and the unwavering resolve to bring three men back from the brink of disaster. Just days earlier, an explosion in the Service Module had turned a routine lunar mission into a desperate fight for life. Stranded nearly 200,000 miles from home, the crew endured freezing temperatures, dwindling power, and a buildup of carbon dioxide as they relied on the Lunar Module Aquarius as a lifeboat. For four agonizing days, the world held its breath, unsure if they would ever return.