The Economic Times

In 1970, Apollo 13 used a wristwatch to time a 14-second burn without computer guidance. 56 years later, the manual maneuver remains a textbook survival feat and a NASA legend

When Apollo 13 Went Dark, a Mechanical Wrist watch Saved the Mission. After an explosion crippled their spacecraft, the crew powered down their guidance computer to preserve remaining electricity and cooling water. Astronaut Jack Swigert relied on his wrist chronograph to time a critical fourteen-second engine burn while watching Earth's horizon. That single manual maneuver guided the disabled capsule into a safe trajectory home, turning an analog backup into NASA's legendary survival feat.