Apollo 13: Enhanced photos show ill-fated moon mission in unprecedented detail

Imaging specialist produces clearest pictures yet from dramatic Nasa mission

An enhanced image from the 1970 Apollo 13 mission shows Commander Jim Lovell selecting music on a tape player (Nasa/Andy Saunders)

Life aboard Nasa’s ill-fated Apollo 13 mission has been revealed in unprecedented detail thanks to a series of enhanced images originally taken 50 years ago.

The spacecraft was supposed to become Nasa’s third to land on the moon in 1970 before an explosion jeopardised the lives of the three astronauts on board and forced them to make a dramatic journey home.

Fifty years on from the mission, imaging specialist Andy Saunders has managed to produce the clearest pictures yet from the craft, using low-quality 16mm film shot by the crew.

Mr Saunders used a technique called “stacking” to bring together multiple frames on top of each other to improve the detail of the images.

In one picture, Commander Jim Lovell can be seen selecting some music on a tape player as the crew prepares for their return to Earth.

Mr Saunders said it was striking in the footage how calm the crew appeared, even though they faced an extremely challenging journey home.

“This perhaps belies their true feelings as we know that, in reality, the crew doubted if they would make it home alive,” he told the BBC.

The enhanced images were released as two of the astronauts involved in the near-disastrous mission said they still viewed the aborted trip as a success.

Mr Lovell described Apollo 13’s return to Earth as a “miraculous recovery”, while Fred Haise said it was a “great mission” despite its difficulties.

Mr Haise said the journey showed “what can be done if people use their minds and a little ingenuity”.

The astronauts also insisted they were not superstitious about the trip and said they both used the number 13 in their email addresses.

Jack Swigert, the craft’s third crew member, died in 1982 after being diagnosed with cancer.

More images from Nasa missions can be found on Andy Saunders' Twitter page.

Additional reporting by AP