Apollo-13 hero Ed Smylie died at the age of 95-space magician!

Apollo-13 hero Ed Smylie died at the age of 95-space magician!

Tennessee, USA - Ed Smylie, the NASA engineer, whose remarkable contributions to the Apollo-13 mission went down in the history of space travel, died at the age of 95. His son confirmed that Smylie died on April 21, 2025 in a nursing home in Tennessee as a result of dementia complications. His role in the critical mission in April 1970 was crucial when an oxygen tank exploded and the moon landing had to be broken off. The incident not only questioned the security of the three astronauts - Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise - also required quick action and innovative technical solutions.

The explosion occurred 56 hours after the start on April 11, 1970 and presented the command module with serious problems. The actual difficulties occurred when it turned out that the carbon dioxide filter in the Mondland module was not sufficient to clean the air for all three astronauts. Smylie and his team developed an improvised solution within just 24 hours. They combined different materials such as a hose from a space suit, a sock, plastic bags and adhesive tape to construct the carbon dioxide absorber necessary for the mission. The crew was transmitted by radio this provisional solution, which became known as the "Mail Box". Without this invention, the astronauts might not have survived the return to earth, as oe24.at.

a legacy in space history

Ed Smylie was born on December 25, 1929 in Lincoln County, Mississippi. It served in the navy and acquired degrees in mechanical engineering and management. Before his time at NASA, Smylie worked at Douglas Aircraft Company and in 1962 joined NASA, where he stayed for over 30 years and held various management positions, including the management of the Crew Systems Division. During his career, Smylie was honored with numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. After leaving NASA, he held leading positions at RCA, General Electric, Grumman and Mitre Corporation.

on the crucial role that Smylie played during the Apollo-13 mission also points [collectspace.com] (http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-0425a-apollo-13-engineer----------carbon-dioxide-scrubber-mailbox-obitary. The command module was equipped with a cube -shaped carbon dioxide filter, while the Mondland module had a cylindrical. Initially, Smylie thought that it would be enough to continue to operate the filters in the command module and to redirect the cleaned air into the Mondland module. Due to the need to save energy for re -entry into the earth's atmosphere, the command module had to be parked, which raised additional challenges.

conclusion of the mission

The Apollo-13 mission was successfully completed on April 17, 1970 with a safe watering in the Pacific, about 55 hours after the catastrophic incident. This mission, which was originally planned as the third manned moon landing, developed into an impressive example of technical improvisation and teamwork, which ultimately led to the rescue of the astronauts. Gene Kranz, the head of the flight manager team, and his team played an important role in the successful implementation of the endangered return.

Ed Smylie leaves a deep legacy in space history, the influences of which can still be felt today. He will be remembered as a tireless innovator and team player, who, with his ingenuity and technical expertise