Fred Haise was set to walk on the Moon until a mid-flight explosion intervened.

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: As the lunar module pilot for Apollo 13, Fred Haise was poised to become the sixth human to walk on the lunar surface. Instead, a catastrophic oxygen tank rupture transformed his mission from a historic landing into a desperate, life-saving struggle to return to Earth inside a crippled spacecraft.

Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1933, Fred Haise initially pursued journalism before joining the naval air cadet program. He eventually transitioned into a career as a fighter pilot and research pilot, joining NASA’s fifth astronaut class in 1966. Known as the Original 19, this group included future legends like Jack Swigert and Ken Mattingly. Haise’s technical expertise made him a natural choice for the lunar module, and he served as the backup pilot for both Apollo 8 and Apollo 11, gaining deep familiarity with the craft that would later serve as his lifeboat.

Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, with the goal of landing in the Fra Mauro region. On April 13, an explosion in a service module oxygen tank crippled the command module, Odyssey. Haise and commander Jim Lovell were forced to retreat into the lunar module, Aquarius, which they jury-rigged to sustain life. During the return journey, the crew set a record for the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans, reaching 401,056 kilometers. Despite suffering from a painful kidney infection during the ordeal, Haise remained focused, helping the crew navigate the perilous, cold return to Earth.

Following the successful splashdown on April 17, 1970, Haise continued his contributions to aerospace. He served as the backup commander for Apollo 16 and later played a pivotal role in the Space Shuttle program, commanding the Enterprise during its 1977 approach and landing tests. Although he was slated to command a mission to rescue the Skylab station, budget cuts and program delays ultimately led to his resignation from NASA in 1979. He transitioned to the private sector, working as an executive at Grumman Aerospace, the company that built the lunar module that had saved his life years earlier.

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