My father was one of the engineers who designed that heatshield. We watched this on TV, and all my dad kept saying during that 3 minutes of silence was "The shield'll hold. The shield'll hold". He was right. He passed away in 2013.
We all had faith in the engineering and the strength of the Heat Shield What we weren't sure about is if the explosion four days prior had damaged it in any way. And if the worst were to have happened and the heat shield had failed due to damage, NOBODY was going to blame the engineers who did an amazing job. They did nothing wrong, and everything right. Well... maybe not the one who bumped the shelf and didn't fully inspect O2 Tank 2 afterward before slotting it back into the Service Module. THAT was somewhat questionable.
@@5roundsrapid263 Yes and no. The only Human error on the part of STS-107 was not further scrutinizing the foam strike and realizing the damage it caused. For Apollo 13, there was actually a Human error that caused the unnoticed damage to O2 Tank 2 that remained inside until finally being set off by the stir. In the case of Apollo 13, there was no possible way of knowing if in fact there was any damage until re-entry. STS-107 on the other hand, there were ways the damage could have been seen... they just didn't do it, cuz "its just foam. What harm could foam cause?" ... turns out, a LOT.
I was there in Florida in the sixties working on the Apollo project for NAA. Jack Swigert and I were at a Coco Beach bar eating dinner and we picked up two young ladies and later attended a stage show. Jack was a test pilot on the NASA Paraglider project in the 1960's at Edwards Dry Lake. One time Jack was in the pilot seat in the Gemini test bed with the para wing attached tow'ed by a LosAngeles Airwways helicopter on the lake bed. A gust of wind turned the veh over on its side. I was driving the NAA chase truck and rushed over to the test veh but as I was getting close I didn't noticed the NAA chase plane piloted by the boss, Scott Crossfield landing near me. By the time we got to the veh Crossfield came over to me a chewed my ass up and down. Boy was he mad! Later that night in a Lancaster restaurant he laughed it off.
@@tb9489, JACK SWIGERT died early from lung cancer at age 51 on Dec. 27th, 1982, seven weeks after being elected to the U.S. Congress to represent his district as a Republican from COLORADO. He had been diagnosed with the disease during his campaign. He died before he was ever sworn into office. R.I.P...
@@kylewinward8847 TRUE DAT - if you recall the TV series Wonde Years the event was even featured as a theme in one of the episodes - the woman who played the mother in the series was stepping out at times in the afternoon that was uncharacteristic for her and it was revealed at the end of the episode that she was stepping into her place of Worship to Offer Prayer for those 3 men -; the kind of thing you mentioned is again happening worldwide for people of All Nations - GOOD NEWS
My Mom worked for Rockwell at the time of the incident and they were told no one was going home until they reprinted all the plans and/or all the paperwork they had on the Spacecrafts. When I watched the movie with my Mom she said that night came back to her. That's the 1st time I remember her talking about it with me. Thank you for this post. I think I'll watch Apollo 13 tonight
I was the campus sound technician at a college speaking engagement that Jim Lovell did after the release of "Apollo 13." I got to spend a fair amount of time with him before his talk a bit of time with him afterwards. He was a true professional in representing not only the military but the space program in general. He's a credit to not only NASA but to this country.
@@tdyr170 Well, sir, I cannot speak to that. I have to defer to people who know more than I when it comes to this "did we or didn't we" stuff on the Apollo program. All I know personally is from my contact with Mr. Lovell and the presentation he gave that night. I will just say that I came away from talking to him, hearing his presentation, and so forth, believing firmly that the man believed what he was saying. I obviously wasn't part of the Apollo program, but I felt strongly that he was telling me what he believed to be true. Whether he was right, wrong, or indifferent, I have no way of knowing.
@@bradparker9664 There's no need to acquiesce to tdyr's cowardly lies. Your good luck in getting to talk to Jim Lovell need never be stained by any false "did we or didn't we" notion. We _did._ It's proven.
My dad was a Grumman engineer, wotked in the assembly sterile white room......he, and everyone else were called back to the Cape, spent the week there 'working the problem!' Saw all the launches of EVERYTHING from our backyard in Merritt Island! Mom worked there too! Was a secretary for the astronauts. So proud of both!!! And the crews and everyone on the team!!!
Just think..... In about 25 years, this nation will be run by a generation of people who can't count change or read an analogue clock. Thank God I won't live to see it!
That's because society as a whole were raised with good family values. Not raised on the street trying to act like savages like we see today. Everyone now seems to have a chip on their shoulder. Back then, everyone behaved politely in public. I miss that world.
I agree and also found watching the slower pace of the interview and TV refreshing. Now it would be equivalent to sound bites. I'll add genuineness to your your list: Mr. Carson simply wanted to learn more about guests, as his audience did. I believe he was the real deal; what you saw on his show was who he was.
@@007.M-D you are very welcome. If I could only choose one word to describe Mr. Carson, that would be it. I miss the days of more contemplative and reflective questions by talk show hosts.
When the audience stood and gave the astronauts a long round of applause, did you feel the American pride? What ever happened to that? These men are true heroes.
I guess people are better educated now on how corrupt the american government has been and still is, since this broadcast. The kent state massacre would happen in just a few months, Watergate and then 9/11, to name just a few, might be the reason.
@@donmunro144 400 million guns in American now, that's 120 guns per 100 residents. That's due to your guys. Corruption is mostly on the R side. Trump and Kushner will be in jail soon. So, unless you are working to reduce gun violence and prosecuting corrupt criminals like Trump, you *are* running down the country.
@@donmunro144 I'm so glad you asked. Here are 23 of Joe Biden’s greatest accomplishments as president of the United States. 1. Passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package to increase investment in the national network of bridges and roads, airports, public transport and national broadband internet, as well as waterways and energy systems. 2. Helped get more than 500 million life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations in the arms of Americans through the American Rescue Plan. 3. Stopped a 30-year streak of federal inaction on gun violence by signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that created enhanced background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole and provided funds for youth mental health. 4. Made a $369 billion investment in climate change, the largest in American history, through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 5. Ended the longest war in American history by pulling the troops out of Afghanistan. 6. Provided $10,000 to $20,000 in college debt relief to Americans with loans who make under $125,000 a year. 7. Cut child poverty in half through the American Rescue Plan. 8. Capped prescription drug prices at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare through the Inflation Reduction Act. 9. Passed the COVID-19 relief deal that provided payments of up to $1,400 to many struggling U.S. citizens while supporting renters and increasing unemployment benefits. 10. Achieved historically low unemployment rates after the pandemic caused them to skyrocket. 11. Imposed a 15% minimum corporate tax on some of the largest corporations in the country, ensuring that they pay their fair share, as part of the historic Inflation Reduction Act. via The White House/Flickr 12. Recommitted America to the global fight against climate change by rejoining the Paris Agreement. 13. Strengthened the NATO alliance in support of Ukraine after the Russian invasion by endorsing the inclusion of world military powers Sweden and Finland. 14. Authorized the assassination of the Al Qaeda terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri, who became head of the organization after the death of Osama bin Laden. 15. Gave Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices through the Inflation Reduction Act while also reducing government health spending. 16. Held Vladimir Putin accountable for his invasion of Ukraine by imposing stiff economic sanctions. 17. Boosted the budget of the Internal Revenue Service by nearly $80 billion to reduce tax evasion and increase revenue. 18. Created more jobs in one year (6.6 million) than any other president in U.S. history. The White House/Flickr 19. Reduced healthcare premiums under the Affordable Care Act by $800 a year as part of the American Rescue Plan. 20. Signed the PACT Act to address service members’ exposure to burn pits and other toxins. 21. Signed the CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen American manufacturing and innovation. 22. Reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act through 2027. 23. Halted all federal executions after the previous administration reinstated them after a 17-year freeze. www.upworthy.com/joe-biden-s-23-greatest-achievements-as-president-of-the-united-states-so-far
Carson show dropping bangers lately! Keep them coming from a 25 year old fan 😂just found him recently and it’s like going into a time machine. Put my head phones on and I feel like I’m back in that era. Thank you for keeping Mr. Carson alive with this channel so people like myself can appreciate and enjoy him and Ed!
Aye thats awesome! Same here i used to watch VHS tapes with my grandpa when i was a kid. Watching these old clips on RU-vid does really feel like time travel
Discovered him from Don rickles interviews I watched back in 2016 I’m currently 21 and still enjoy watching Carson along with other classy people of a generation now gone.
I absolutely don't know what a banger means honestly haha. 😂 O it's cool and wonderful that most of the newer generations and folks get to experience The Johnny Carson Show fellow. 🎼
Awesome. Thanks for adding this great clip. My Dad worked as an engineer for Grumman on the Apollo program in the 1960's and met all the astronauts. He would have loved this clip. 👏
@@Red-rl1xx, I don't believe the moon landing hoaxers are really who they say they are. I think someone on this thread is one of many others signing with a fake name while commenting and dictating to their secretaries on a soundstage.
I don’t recognize the set. Midway through, Johnny alludes to “upstairs”. Was this a temporary Tonight Show set while the real one was redecorated? It looks like a game show set.
@@michaeldemarco9950 It was most likely at the Ed Sullivan theater where NBC had their HQ office in the late 60s. The reason the set looks strange is because they wanted a better visual for home viewers because color sets had become common so they were experimenting. You have to remeber, color tv wasn't the exception but a rare thing until the late 60s so things looked different on b&w compared to color.
@@monty4336, yes. That’s the same reason Star Trek had brightly colored uniforms and ship exteriors, and why Batman was so . . . weird. But I’ve seen the Tonight Shows from 1969, 1971, 1972, etc. I’ve never seen this set before. It’s so different from what came before it, and after it. Couldn’t have lasted very long.
@@michaeldemarco9950 It may have lasted only a few months and got scraped. I admit, I haven't seen it before but that's because I haven't seen Carson shows from every single year. I think it wasn't too long after this that Johnny moved the show to Burbank CA. Again, I could be wrong.
@@monty4336 , according to Wikipedia, and conversation on early-70s episodes, The Tonight Show moved to LA in 1973. So this was something different, three years earlier. I’ll keep digging on this one, because it’s interesting . . .
The astronaut who was replaced by Jack Swigert - Thomas K. 'Ken' Mattingly II - died 10.31.23 age 87. He became the command module pilot (CMP) on Apollo 16 in 1972 and commanded two space shuttle missions in the 1980s. He retired from the US Navy at the rank of Rear Admiral.
Wow, I’ve never seen that kind of a backdrop behind Johnny. These three guys were truly heroes! All that time up there they must’ve wondered if they were ever going to see earth again.
That set was the result of a complete remodeling of Studio 6B starting in 1969. Carson had pushed for refurbishment as the studio was essentially the same since it’s conversion to television in 1950. The Tonight Show moved to Studio 6A next door (David Letterman/Conan O’Brien studio) for several months. 6B was also upgraded to brand new RCA equipment with the the brand new RCA TK-44 Plumbicon tube cameras (previously TK-41B image orthicon tube cameras in use since the mid-1950’s were used). You can see the color was much different on the original 44’s compared to the TK41B’s you see in older Tonight Show clips but later models worked that out with improvements. In 1971 the backgrounds were changed to a New York skyline motif though the set frame remained the same. Johnny and the show moved to Burbank in 1972. Johnny had s special Tonight Show when they moved back to the “new studio” in 1970. 6A and 6B reportedly were originally small radio studios. They were reconstructed and enlarged in 1941 as radio studios. In 1950 6B was converted to television. It has hosted The Texaco Star Theatre with Milton Berle, The Ernie Kovacs Show, The Tonight Show with Jack Paar and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and many others. When Johnny left 6B was used as WNBC-TV News studio housing NewsCenter4, News4NewYork and Live At Five for two decades.
I had a friend who was on the "Houston, we have a problem" team that worked on the contraption that stopped the oxygen from escaping. He was a humble guy. The Apollo crew brought us all together that week.
Of course, then - you are aware of the actual words spoken by Swigert in his initial communications with Mission Control i.e., "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here." subsequently repeated by Lovell: "Houston, we've had a problem" This correction/attempt to set the record straight is more than a reflection of some maniacal obsession with accuracy but to point out that what may appear at first blush to be a subtle difference between the wrongly quoted words of lore and the real ones is anything but that. What the real words tell us is a great deal more about the mind-set, psychology of those most directly involved in the supremely challenging moment. (eg. crew members already valiantly seeking to put the moment behind them while knowing/suspecting full well that this is not going to be easy) It speaks to optimism ...blah , blah you can perform the analysis yourself if you possess the wherewithal; are so disposed The results, again, are quite revealing with respect to the human spirit.
@@tommyriam8320 yep! My friend was at the station and called into action. He was one of the scientists that are representative of the team that worked with the Gary Sinise character from the movie though my friend told me that there were several guys who actually perform the tasks that Gary Sinise was represented as solely figuring out what task that was necessary. He told me there were more people involved than the movie could depict for the viewers. We use that term at home in jest all the, "Houston we have a problem." As in when there's traffic and we're going to be late for the family Thanksgiving 5 hours away. My friend was my Dad's generation. Dad met him through me, and they became wonderful friends through retirement years.
My father was responsible for the fit of all objects to the LM. This included the CM fitting the LM and the docking ring in particular. Without proper docking there could not be any Apollo mission, no Moon landings and no LM lifeboat on A-13. Sometime before the Carson visit, the crew visited Grumman to thank the company and particular engineers who made their return possible. My father was one of them. Knowing the pressures and sense of humor of the crew he and some Grumman Astronauts wrote and presented the crew with a “towing bill” - on display at The Cradle of Aviation Museum. It was the towering capstone of Dads career.
Amazing historical piece! That was when The Tonight Show was still in NYC. Two years later, it would move to CA. Johnny so humbled by the gentlemen. The interview was charming all around. I remember when Ed used to do the live commercials, particularly Alpo!
@JohnnyCarson. I used to go to NBC to see games shows in NYC at that time but you had to be 16 or older to get into The Tonight Show. I had to settle for a tour of that studio set as I was under 16 at the time.
My parents taught me to love astronomy and the space program from an early age, and we watched Apollo 13 shortly after it came out. This was one of tensest and yet finest hours of America's space program. Thank you for uploading this one!
I had a wonderful opportunity to hear Jim Lovell tell the story at The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola in the early 90s. Everyone was riveted. Thank you sincerely. You are very precious cargo and you did us all proud 🇺🇸
Jack Swigert said those now famous words, "Houston, we've had a problem here" during the Apollo 13 mission. Jack passed away in 1982. Fred Haise turned 89 on November 14, 2022 and Jim Lovell will turn 95 on March 25, 2023.
I was so impressed with the movie Apollo 13. I wrote letters back then. I informed my uncle of thid movie. I hope he understood how impressed I was with the movie.
This was such a great moment in time! I am so glad this history has been saved.... we need to appreciate and learn from our past. May our future be amazing and glorious!
This is amazing, glad it survived! According to Wikipedia: "Only 33 complete episodes of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show that had originally aired prior to May 1, 1972 are known to exist. All other shows during this period, including Carson's debut as host, are now considered lost. Carson's shows were preserved by NBC into the early 1970s, but then thrown out to free storage space after the show moved to Burbank, California. When Carson later learned of their destruction, he was furious."
0:35 - 01:33 These three gentlemen, heroes to the core, received a standing ovation that last for almost a full minute...testimony to the sheer adulation, respect, and relief the world felt upon their return, and was so supremely deserved. Those who were not yet alive (I was 8 years old at the time of the flight and remember it distinctly) may have had only the 1995 movie to learn about the incredible 7 days of their flight. It began with Jack replacing Ken Mattingly 3 days before the liftoff, but watching this and other interviews the crew of Apollo 13 gave over the years, my hope is the appreciation of their bravery and the ingenuity of those in Mission Control and the rest of the support teams can be fully appreciated. Godspeed, Apollo 13.
My cousin is former NASA astronaut Tamara Jernigan, and back in 1994 I got to meet Jim Lovell at her house, and I still have the photo of the three of us together. I have watched Apollo 13 a couple dozen times and finding this video with Johnny and the Lucky 13 crew is the icing on the cake.
After watching this, I can't help but compare and contrast the professionalism and quality of Carson's Tonight Show to the pathetic versions seen on the networks today.
yea especially the azz holes on the late night shows, ONe has done black face and is roasted by some of his own staff and another on cbs who has threatened a US PRES, ( treason) and the 3rd is just a silly ex NBC SNL comic with hardly any talents
this is priceless....clearly the three of them agreed they would answer successively and who sat where...great pioneers...and certainly more heroic than sports figures
What a find! Thank you. I was 11 when the mission happened, and remember every tense minute. The greatest story of adapting, surviving and triumphing ever! My sincerest admiration goes to Jim, Fred and Jack.
This is GOLD! I read about Apollo 13 as a kid and loved the movie. The aura of respect and modesty of all involved in this interview harkens back to a different time.
Unless I missed something, I didn't hear one word about all the people on the ground that helped get them back. Those people are also heroes. Without them, they wouldn't be here.
For that reason alone I'm thankful to Ron Howard and the job he did directing the movie which did a phenomenal job of demonstrating what all those incredible minds on the ground back at NASA were doing to get them back. There were so many people involved with different abilities, talents, and specialties but most of all they all had to be smart as hell and really top notch in their particular area(s). It's amazing how they formed into multiple teams, all working simultaneously on a different problem among the multitude of problems that had to be addressed and solved quickly. Kudos to everyone on the ground and kudos to Ron Howard for telling their story so brilliantly.
My dad, an engineer on every program except Skylab...(was laid off by Nixon)....said the astronauts came down to meet and 'shoot the breeze' with all of the wrench turners for quite a while, drink a coke......the crews knew who they entrusted their lives with, strapping into that big bomb!!!
These men are what made America great. I remember watching the movie Apollo 13 and being overcome with emotion numerous times during the film. I worked with a man who was an engineer on 13 and I asked him how accurate was the movie. He said it was spot on, right down to when they dumped all those parts on a table and said we have to make this fit in that. I honestly think the movie Apollo 13 should be required viewing by all kids in school so they can see why so many love this country. Sadly, I've run into younger people who have no idea about Apollo 13.
Apollo 13 is one of my favorite movies of the last 30 years. I get misty eyed when Gene Kranz says "We've never lost an American in space, we're sure as hell not going to lose one on my watch".
I get a lump in my throat in the movie when Mrs. Lovell (Jim's mom, who was played by Ronny Howards real mother) is consoling Jim's young daughter. Mrs. Lovell asked her if she was scared, and the little girl shook her head up and down. Mrs. Lovell says, honey, don't be scared. If they could get a washing machine to fly, my Jimmy could land it. That's got to be my favorite line in the whole movie. (and I agree.....EVERY kid should have to watch this movie to see how the country operated under dire circumstances. And how the whole world came together, much like after JFK and 9/11))
This exact picture is hanging in our local museum where I volunteer. I’ve seen it many times, so great to see the episode it came from. Johnny grew up in my hometown, and we have a large exhibit about his life.
@@SteveBrant55 It's the Elkhorn Valley Museum in Norfolk, Nebraska! A little off the beaten path, for sure. They just completed a renovation on the Carson exhibit, and it's really well done. I walked past the photo many times before I noticed what it was, completely floored me when I realized who the signatures were.
Costner was seriously considered to play Lovell in the 1995 movie. But, Tom Hanks is a huge Apollo history fanatic and wanted it badly. It would have been interesting to see a Costner version.
I kept thinking Lovell looked like a distinctive "someone" other than of course his great self, but couldn't put my thought down on it definitively. Thank you! Without a doubt!
Back in mid 90s I worked for Northrop Fred Haze was a big wheel for them he came to Vance A.F.B for a visit I had the privilege of talking to him for about 20 minutes, I asked him about the way the movie portrayed him as being very sick,he told me that he was really just a bit uncomfortable, we had a nice chat about his first flights in flying the early space shuttle flights from a 747...he was really excited and so friendly while talking with him...was really awesome !!!
This is fantastic! I've been a fan of the space program since the Mercury program days. Somehow, I never saw this interview. It's a wonderful part of space program history!
I so enjoyed this. Three human beings that, by the grace of God had returned home to us. A lot of people contributed to the success of their safe return to Earth ~ Amazing effort.
@@robertsprouse9282 I don't remember anything about onion rings, but part of the merchandising deal was the “Apollo Burger”; it had thousand island dressing on it. My parents & brother always have ranch on their salads, but I don't like ranch, so I had been eating my salads with NO dressing up until then. After discovering thousand island on the Apollo burger, I started having THAT dressing on my salads.
I met Jack Swigert when he was campaigning for Congress. He was fighting cancer then. Incredibly, it was just a small group of us; about six. I still don't know how we managed to meet with him with such a small audience.
I watched "Apollo 13" (again) this evening. I was allowed to stay up late as a 12 yr old to see Neil Armstrong step off the LEM, and recall watching the ongoing reports about Apollo 13. I'd never seen this video from the Johnny Carson show. Loved seeing these three. Many women worked on the Apollo projects, too, behind the scenes back then.
I was pleased (though not surprised) to see the emotional reception from the audience, and also pleased (but not surprised) to note Carson's good technical knowledge of the subject.
