…a critical electrical line that enabled the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew.
This Bus Bar Batt B cable was carried into lunar orbit during the Apollo 13 mission as part of the Command Module Odyssey’s Electrical Power System (EPS), which consists of the equipment and reactants required to supply the electrical energy sources, power generation and controls, power conversion and conditioning, and power distribution to the electrical buses.
As such, this cable played a key role in the dramatic rescue of Apollo 13, captured wonderfully in this recent video by CuriousMarc. After the explosion of the Service Module’s oxygen tank No. 2, the only power the spacecraft was able to maintain was through its batteries. Just prior to earth re-entry, the CM was powered up again using only its onboard batteries interconnected with this and several similar cables.
The cable, 5.5′′ in length, is stamped on the body with part number “V36-452265,” and ends with two metal terminals. Includes its original “Space Division, North American Rockwell” temporary parts removal tag, listing the matching part number and identifying the spacecraft as 109 for PFT (Post Flight Testing). In fine condition.
And from the letter below:
“‘Houston, we’ve had a problem,’ ‘We’ve had a Main B Bus undervolt,’ James Lovell, Apollo 13 CDR”
“‘We got a Main Bus A undervolt now, too showing… it’s reading about 25 1⁄2, Main Bus B is reading zip right now!’ Fred Haise, Apollo 13 LMP.”
An artifact in the Future Ventures 🚀 Space Collection.
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