3. Does mission commander Jim Lovell successfully manage the group dynamics to return the group to a normal state? This fi lm re-creates the heroic eff orts of astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), his crew, NASA, and Mission Control to return the damaged Apollo spacecraft to earth. Examples of both problem solving and decision making occur in almost every scene.

This scene takes place during day 5 of the mission, about two-thirds of the way through the fi lm.

Early in Apollo 13’s mission Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) stirred the oxygen tanks at the request of Mission Control. After this procedure, an explosion occurred, causing unknown damage to the command module.

Before the scene takes place, the damage has forced the crew to move into the LEM (Lunar Exploration Module), which becomes their lifeboat for return to earth.