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52 Apollo 13 Trivia Questions & Answers

Apollo 13
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There are 52 questions on this topic. Last updated Mar 29 2024.
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1 At the beginning of the movie, a narrator tells the story about the Apollo 1 mission, and how 3 astronauts died in it. It also talks about the rest of the Apollo missions. Who inspired the missions?
Answer: President John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy had the idea of sending men from NASA to the Moon, and maybe even other planets. He thought it was possible, and it was.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
trivia question Quick Question
What was Fred Haise's nickname?




2 Which astronaut killed in the Apollo 1 fire was originally a Mercury astronaut (the first seven astronauts selected to the space program)?
Answer: Virgil "Gus" Grissom

The original Mercury astronauts were Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Deke Slayton, Gordon Cooper, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra. For a fabulous account of the birth of the space program, watch "The Right Stuff" (1983) starring Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Scott Glenn.
3 What is shown in the first scene of the movie?
Answer: Apollo 1 fire

The very first scene in the movie explains the fire on the launch pad of Apollo 1 that killed the three astronauts inside.
4 Who plays Gene Kranz?
Answer: Ed Harris

This man did not want to fail.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
5 What is the name of the astronaut who was pulled from the Apollo 13 prime crew two days before lift-off?
Answer: Ken Mattingly

Don't worry, he eventually did get to fly, on Apollo 16!
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
6 Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
Answer: Neil Armstrong

The mission, in which Neil walked on the Moon, was the 11th Apollo mission.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
7 Which Mercury astronaut is, at the time of the movie, Jim Lovell's boss?
Answer: Deke Slayton

Among other things, Deke Slayton handles the Apollo flight assignments.
8 Who was the original commander of Apollo 13?
Answer: Alan Shepherd

An illness of Shepherd's forced NASA to boost the backup crew to the prime crew of Apollo 13.
9 Why was one of the astronaut's yanked from the prime crew?
Answer: He had been exposed to German Measles

He was exposed to the German measles by back-up astronaut Charlie Duke, who had contracted them.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
10 How long did Jim tell his son it took to get to the moon?
Answer: 4 days

Jim's son was amazed, he thought it was too long, but Jim said that, 4 days was pretty fast.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
11 What character does the real Jim Lovell play in this movie?
Answer: Ship captain

He shakes Tom Hanks' hand at the end of the movie.
12 According to the movie, where were the Lovell's going to vacation before Jim was bumped up to commander of Apollo 13?
Answer: Acapulco

When Jim first tells his wife about the mission, he says that their vacation has changed destinations, from Acapulco to the moon.
13 What was the name of the Flight Director who stated, 'Failure is not an option'?
Answer: Gene Kranz

A very good saying also, just like not using the word "can't!"
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
14 In what year did the Apollo mission first land on the Moon?
Answer: 1969

The men that actually walked on the Moon in this mission were, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. There was another guy (an astronaut by the name of Michael Collins) that was left on the spaceship.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
15 What ailment was Fred Haise suffering from by the end of the mission?
Answer: Kidney infection

Fred Haise was seriously ill upon returning to earth, but that was obviously far more desirable than the alternative.
16 What did Jack Swigert die of?
Answer: Cancer

He died of cancer, it is said at the end of the movie.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
17 Which astronaut on Apollo 13 became ill during the flight?
Answer: Fred Haise

He became ill due to a kidney infection.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
18 Who were the astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission?
Answer: Jim, Fred, Jack

The original astronauts were: Jim Lovell, Fred "Freddo" Haise, and Ken Mattingly. Ken couldn't go because he was supposedly getting the measles, and they replaced him with Jack Swigert. Ken never got the measles.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
19 What year was the first man on the moon walking?
Answer: 1969

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in July of 1969.
20 What song was played by Fred Haise during the broadcast in space?
Answer: Spirit in the Sky

The song that was supposed to be played was "2001: A Space Odyssey Theme", but Freddo made a last second change.
21 Who says the famous line 'Houston, we have a problem'?
Answer: Jim Lovell

Tom Hanks says it.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
22 What was the name of the rocket used to launch Apollo 13?
Answer: Saturn V

Designed by Werner Von Braun, it was the most powerful working rocket in the world. The Russians had a more powerful one, the N-2, but it never was able to lift off without exploding.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
23 What did Marilyn (Jim's wife) drop in the shower, the morning of the launch?
Answer: her ring

Marilyn couldn't get the ring, though she really tried. She panicked when the ring went down the drain.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.
24 In what month and year did the Apollo 13 mission occur?
Answer: April 1970

The Apollo 13 explosion occurred on April 13th, 1970, and the flight lasted from April 11-17.
25 What was the original name of the book the movie is based on?
Answer: Lost Moon

Co-authored by Jim Lovell and Jeffery Kluger.
Question Reference: Quiz: Apollo 13.