Live! from the Johnson Space Center, the
Top Ten TECHNICAL ERRORS/ANACHRONISMS in the movie "Apollo 13"
- compiled by a bunch of genuine NASA dweebs who actually noticed these things.
(Reading this list is guaranteed not to give the story away, but reading this next sentence will: They make it back safely.)
10. The NASA "worm" logo appears on a glass door.
The logo was not developed until 1976.
9. One engineer checks an astronaut's addition using a slide
rule.
Slide rules are not used for addition.
8. Jim Lovell's license plate is new.
7. The astronauts point out the Sea of Tranquility while on the
dark side of the moon.
It is on the other side.
6. A technician at the cape is wearing a Rockwell International
logo on his coveralls.
The Apollo capsule was built by North American, which did not
become Rockwell International until after the Apollo
program.
5. The gantry arms for the Saturn V are released in unison, not one at a time.
4. During entry, the spacecraft is shown hurling directly at the
earth.
At that angle, it would punch a brief but fiery hole through the
atmosphere. It should be aiming towards the horizon.
3. The paint pattern on the Saturn V is for the test configuration, not the launch configuration.
2. The astronauts look at their intended landing site while on
the dark side of the moon.
It is a good thing they didn't land - no communications with
Earth; it's dark and very cold.
AND THE NUMBER ONE TECHNICAL ERROR/ANACHRONISM in APOLLO 13 is:
1. In space, from outside the capsule, propulsion jets do not make any noise.
