A successful failure: NASA's crisis communications regarding Apollo 13.(NASA's handling of Apollo 13 crisis)

James Kauffman (*)

Abstract

In April 1970, NASA faced its second major crisis when an explosion on board Apollo 13 threatened the lives of its three astronauts. NASA's handling of the crisis not only would determine the fate of the three astronauts, but also the image of the space agency and possibly the future of American manned space exploration. This paper examines NASA' s crisis communications regarding Apollo 13. It argues that NASA and the Nixon administration's handling of the crisis not only bolstered NASA's image, but it also may have helped to gain crucial public and congressional support for continued manned space exploration. The space agency succeeded by responding quickly to the crisis and communicating honestly and openly with its key publics. The study demonstrates how a successful response to a crisis can enhance the image of an organization. (c) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

In April 1970, NASA attempted its third manned moon mission in less than a year with Apollo 13. Initially, the public paid little attention to the mission. Enthusiasm for moon missions had waned in the wake of Apollo 11, ten months earlier. Critics began questioning whether the country might better spend the money devoted to space exploration on social ills like poverty and education. The television networks, sensing little public interest, did not even telecast a live interview with the Apollo 13 crew from outer space. However, this all changed on April 13. Astronaut James Lovell' s announcement, "Houston, we've had a problem," marked the beginning of a crisis that captured the attention and interest of the entire world. For four days, Americans and people from around the world collectively held their breath and prayed for the safe return of Apollo 13 astronauts Lovell, Fred Haise, and John Swigert.

Observers attest to Apollo 13's drama and significance. Writing in the summer of 1970, Washington Post reporter Stuart Auerbach called Apollo 13's four-day adventure "one of the most dramatic stories of the decade." Similarly, New York Times science reporter John Noble Wilford described it as "a drama of epic dimensions worthy of a Homer." Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox proposed that President John Kennedy's Apollo ended with the landing of Apollo 13. They characterized the mission as "the pinnacle of the spirit behind Kennedy's commitment" and depicted it as the last time the nation was "transfixed" by the space adventure. (1)

One cannot overstate the interest in the crisis. The United States Information Agency characterized the television and radio coverage of the splashdown as "probably at its highest peak for any single event in history, apparently surpassing even that of the actual walk on the moon by Apollo 11." (2) Editors of Associated Press member newspapers and radio and television stations chose the abortive flight as the top news story of l970. (3)