In honour of Apollo 13’s launchversary, here’s the time I met Jim Lovell, aka the guy @tomhanks plays in the movie. Here’s my Jim Lovell story... thread incoming! 
I met Jim Lovell at a 45th anniversary event at @SDASM. I was there was media, the benefit of which was getting to mingle with all the VIPs during cocktail hour. Astronauts and flight directors.. so basically a room full of my heroes.
I kinda sidled my way over to loiter near Jim so I could talk to him once I got the nerve. I wanted to ask about seeing the lunar farside on Apollo 8 vs. 13 — was it as amazing even in a bad situation, and do you feel differently now than in the moment in 13.
I finally got to ask my question. Jim very politely began his answer with, “Well, you know, we had a little problem on Apollo 13...”
I didn’t want to interrupt to say I knew that O2 tank 10024X-TA00008 ruptured because a coil was damaged when shelf 0632AAG3277 was removed from Apollo 10’s SM in 1968... I didn’t want to be rude! I also realized I needed to ask something to get a non-practiced answer...
No one else was chomping at the bit to talk to Jim, so I had time for another question: tell me about the Command Module sea-worthiness test you did in 1967.
This was a test wherein Jim Lovell and two other astros strapped into a CM that was then dunked upside down (stable 2 position) in five-foot swells in the Gulf of Mexico to ensure a) the bags could inflate and flip it to stable 1, and b) make sure it was watertight.
The test lasted two days, which was the longest time a crew would have to wait for recovery forces if they splashed down off target. Here’s my old blog about it: popsci.com/blog-network/v…
When I asked Jim Lovell about this obscure test, his face changed. He couldn’t believe I knew about that test and had read that report. Recalling it 48 years later, he simply said, “You know, I was a sailor, and that thing was no f***ing boat!” Legend.
Oh, and if you want to get into the details of why Apollo 13's O2 ruptured, here's my old blog that gets super nerdy about it! popsci.com/blog-network/v…
And I'm only just realizing I have a signed copy of "Lost Moon" (yup, pre-rename, that I really need to have the equally legendary @jeffreykluger also sign!) but don't have Jim Lovell on my wall of awesome! I'm going to have to fix that... somehow...
