'Apollo' 13 heads to IMAX: What to know about the real mission behind the movie

USA Today

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The Oscar-winning film directed by Ron Howard tells the true story of a near-disastrous 1970 NASA lunar mission.
Houston, we have ... an IMAX release.
More than 55 years ago, three astronauts en route to the moon had to abandon their dreams of reaching the lunar surface when their spacecraft encountered some serious trouble. The spacefarers' perilous journey back to Earth was later recounted in 1995's "Apollo 13," the Oscar-winning film with the same title as the now-infamous NASA mission.
To mark the movie's 30th anniversary, "Apollo 13" is heading to IMAX theaters.
Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, the late Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon, "Apollo 13" bills itself as "the dramatic true story" of how NASA engineers in Houston worked with the three astronauts to get them home safely.
But how much of Hollywood's retelling is fact. vs fiction?
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Here's what to know about "Apollo 13," its impending cinematic re-release and the true story of the real-life mission that inspired the film.
'Apollo 13' heading to IMAX theaters in US
Universal Pictures and IMAX announced on Thursday, July 24, that "Apollo 13" is heading back to IMAX theaters, which are known for having larger screens than a typical movie theater and steep stadium seating.
The IMAX premiere on Sept. 19 is meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film's original June 30, 1995, theatrical release.
This isn't the first time "Apollo 13" was shown in IMAX long after its initial theatrical run: A digital remaster of the movie was released for IMAX in 2002.
How accurate was 'Apollo 13' movie? What to know about NASA mission
"Apollo 13" is inspired by the nearly disastrous April 1970 mission of the same name in which NASA's third planned mission to the moon had to be abandoned when an oxygen tank exploded on the service module.
For the three astronauts selected for the mission – Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise – the critical mishap two days into the mission transformed the spaceflight into a life-or-death situation. Relying on backup life-support systems on the Apollo Lunar Module meant to transport them to the moon's surface from orbit, the astronauts used primitive methods of celestial navigation to make their way back to Earth.
While in constant communication with flight controllers in Houston, the astronauts safely made a water landing on April 17, 1970, in the South Pacific Ocean – six days after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Ron Howard, who directed "Apollo 13," went to great effort to ensure the on-screen depiction of the mission was as accurate and realistic as possible. Lovell and NASA experts consulted on the film, which was even partially filmed at the Kennedy Space Center.
Who were the astronauts of NASA's Apollo 13 mission?
The mission was under the command of Cleveland, Ohio, native Jim Lovell, then a veteran of three previous spaceflights who was selected as a NASA astronaut in September 1962.
Jack Swigert, the command module pilot, had been selected as a NASA astronaut in 1966. Swigert, a native of Denver, was a backup astronaut for the Apollo 13 mission and replaced astronaut Ken Mattingly, who was grounded after exposure to rubella.
The third crew member of Apollo 13 was Biloxi, Mississippi, native Fred Haise, the lunar module pilot who was part of the same astronaut class as Swigert.
Lovell, 97, and Haise, 91, are the two remaining living crew members of Apollo 13.
'Apollo 13' 30th anniversary trailer
'Apollo 13' cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon star
"Apollo 13" features an ensemble cast portraying the mission's astronauts, their families and the NASA engineers who helped get them home.
Here's a look: