A new Netflix documentary is set to take on the greatest crisis in NASA history later this year.
Apollo 13: Survival will delve into the lunar mission, from the events that led to the explosion that would risk crew members James Lovell, Fred Haise and John “Jack” Swigert’s lives, to their return to Earth.
The archive-led re-telling features rare access to “the complete audio recordings of the mission, never-before-seen film materials, and archival interviews with the crew, their families and the team at Ground Control,” Netflix said in a statement, which also confirmed the documentary’s September release date.
Lovell himself opened about the documentary, saying: “More than 50 years after the mission, the film put me right back in the captain’s seat. Those were the days! Seeing the historic footage and hearing the perspectives of family and friends on the ground truly stirred my emotions.
![A13_Still_2 Netflix's Apollo 13: Survival will feature archival footage of the failed space mission.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/A13Still2-ae17fe8.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,525)
He added: “I am grateful the world now has this excellent documentary showing the raw emotions and triumph we felt back then. My hope is our experience in space will continue to inspire new heights of exploration for many years to come.”
NASA Chief Historian Roger D Launius said of the doc, directed by Peter Middleton (Notes on Blindness): “We may think we know the story of Apollo 13, but this documentary offers so much more than seen before. This is an excellent work, by far the best documentary on Apollo 13 yet made.”
The footage will cover the four days that ensued after the crew realised their primary oxygen and power supply would be gone following a catastrophic explosion, both from astronauts’ perspective, NASA’s and that of their families back on Earth.
Apollo 13: Survival will land on Netflix on Thursday 5th September. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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