2346/​6136

[Apollo 13] The Earth glowing in darkness, as seen from the lifeboat LM during the perilous homeward journey. J. Lovell, J. Swigert or F. Haise, 11–17 April 1970. Printed 1970. Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS13–62-8979]. 25.4×20.3 cm (10×8 in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS13–62-8979” in red in top margin (NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas).

An extremely rare unreleased photograph from the miracle journey of Apollo 13, showing the terrifying dark void of space which separated the spacecraft in distress from their fragile home. By this time in the journey the CSM and its attendant lifeboat LM had passed into the Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence and were beginning to accelerate. As the spacecraft was in “barbecue mode” and the crew plunged into darkness inside the LM cabin, Swigert and Haise used the lunar surface Hasselblad 500EL Data Camera (which never made it to the lunar surface) equipped with a 60mm lens and color magazine 62/JJ to shoot this photograph of the Earth from deep space, well more than 100, 000 nautical miles away. “Our idea was, if all hope was lost, if we went by the Earth, say we missed the Earth, and we were on an orbit about the Sun, if we had exceeded the escape velocity... My idea was to hold off, you know, as long as we had options, as long as we could stand it, send back data... We probably would have been farther out than anybody.” James Lovell (Chaikin, Voices, p. 139).

Condition

Glossy print in excellent condition.

Auction

Space, 15 November 2023

Category
Estimate

6,000–8,000 DKK

Price realised

Not sold