Houston, We've Got a Problem on AllMovie

Predating the Oscar-nominated theatrical feature Apollo 13 by over two decades, the made-for-TV Houston, We've Got a Problem dramatized the same real-life crisis in space from a different point of view. It was back in 1970 when an explosion on board Apollo 13 forced Mission Control to scuttle the vessel's intended moon landing. Unfortunately, the astronauts and the NASA control team faced an even bigger dilemma -- the very real possibility that the Apollo 13 capsule would remain hovering in space forever, with no possible hope for a return to the earth. Unlike the film version of Apollo 13, in which the men on board the ill-fated craft were spotlighted, the TV movie focused exclusively on the NASA engineers in Houston, and the families and friends of the endangered space travelers. In fact, Jim Lovell and his crew weren't even shown onscreen, save for a random TV news clip. Houston, We've Got a Problem debuted March 2, 1974, on ABC.