335. [Apollo 13] THE APOLLO 13 HEROES SAFELY BACK ON EARTH AFTER THEIR HARROWING ODYSSEY THROUGH THE UNKNOWN NASA, 11-17 April 1970 Printed 1970. Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image 70-H-641]. With NASA caption numbered "70-H-641" on the reverse (issued by NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context The iconic Apollo 13 recovery—a hero's welcome on the USS Iwo Jima. Just moments after their miraculous return to Earth, the Apollo 13 crew—Fred Haise (waving), Jack Swigert, and Jim Lovell—are welcomed aboard the USS Iwo Jima. The crew was transported by helicopter to the prime recovery ship after a near-perfect splashdown, just four miles from the Iwo Jima, concluding one of the most harrowing missions in space history. Though physically exhausted from their ordeal, the astronauts emerged as heroes, unaware of the immense global impact their survival had made. "Nobody believes me, but during this six-day odyssey we had no idea what an impression Apollo 13 made on the people of Earth. We never dreamed a billion people were following us on television and radio, and reading about us in banner headlines of every newspaper published... Only when we reached Honolulu did we comprehend our impact." —James Lovell (NASA SP-350, p. 263)