The Explorer Traits and Cooperativeness in Space Exploration in Apollo 13, a Movie by Ron Howard
Throughout watching Apollo 13, it was evident that many things can wrong in space and that there is a huge risk when sending humans into space. It is not only a risk to their lives but also to those who fund the explorations. They would waste billions ofdollars if something were to happen to their investment. However, the harsh reality is that we as humans have no choice but to take on these risks. The lack of space exploration and research in the coming decades could lead to the destruction of the human race, There is simply no way ofbeating around this immense bush. Furthermore, from the way that our population consumes fossil fuels, if we wish to remain on this planet for years to come we must either invent more sustainable energy sources or discover nearby bodies in our solar system that posses natural resources, which we could then exploit.
Lastly, we as a population are such a small microcosm in terms of the universe Who knows what could be just beyond our reach at the moment. For all we know a population ofhighly advanced extraterrestrials could be attainable with further exploration and they might be willing, and more importantly, able to help us in this time of need. There were many explorer traits that were brought up throughout the movie and so I will only discuss the ones that I feel were the most apparent and important. Firstly, the perseverance portrayed by both the astronauts and the men on the ground was incredible.
They encountered numerous life threatening situations and could have easily just given up. Whether it was overcoming the oxygenator blowing up, the lack of energy or dehydration, the men were always quick to think and never began to think about letting go. The next characteristic I will discuss can be broken down into three parts; that characteristic is leadership. This trail can be stratified into decisiveness, focus and calmness. All of the people, especially Gene Kranz, demonstrated decisiveness. Gene was on the ground and when he wanted something accomplished it got done. Even if it was something as impossible as fitting a square into a circle, it simply got done due to his leadership. Also the men astronauts were extremely focused, never blinking an eye during their trip.
Their movements and actions were measured down to the t due to countless hours of training. Furthermore, both the crew and the ground crew were very calm throughout the mission. They always were able to take a step back, take a deep breath and not panic. Instead they would keep their cool and think of the highest percentage decision in terms of getting the men home. Lastly I will examine the cooperativeness demonstrated by everyone involved in the mission. If all of the members were not “pulling on the same rope” then the crew would‘ve died during their first obstacle. Everyone was on the same page and that was arguably the biggest reason for which the three men were able to return home safely.
