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Author
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Topic: Apollo 13 European goodwill tour (1970)
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alexbaja
Member Posts: 448
From: Naxxar, Malta
Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 07-09-2012 05:44 AM
   
This photo of the Apollo 13 astronauts' visit to Malta was taken while entering Republic Street Valletta in an open top Rolls Royce. They were on a State visit to Malta between the 10th and the 13th October 1970. They were greeted by large crowds just six months after their safe return form their perilous journey to the moon. This photo is a scan from the papers, it is the only copy I could get hold of. It was taken by a Malta Times photographer, unfortunately their archives was burned down in an arson attack in the late 80's so the originals were all destroyed.  |
alexbaja
Member Posts: 448
From: Naxxar, Malta
Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 07-09-2012 11:48 AM
If there is anybody out there that can remember this event or has any photos I would be very happy if you can share. |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 04-23-2013 05:43 PM
Perhaps it may help jog memories if some of the Apollo XIII European Goodwill Tour 1970 timeline is filled in. Based on this Limerick Leader Newspaper itinerary, the crew arrived at Shannon Airport on the Wednesday and stayed overnight at Dromoland Castle. On the Thursday they had a motorcade and civic reception in Limerick City, before travelling on to Bunratty Castle and Shannon Airport before flying back to Houston. The Limerick Leader had a report on the visit here. |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 977
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 04-23-2013 11:00 PM
They visited the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne on Oct 7, 1970. |
alexbaja
Member Posts: 448
From: Naxxar, Malta
Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 04-24-2013 03:38 AM
This thread might help recover some more of these Apollo 13 Goodwill certificates which were given to the people who took part in this tour. |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 02-21-2014 11:36 PM
After commanding Apollo 13, Jim Lovell experimented with alternative career options as can be seen here at Bunratty Castle.  |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 02-22-2014 04:52 AM
From reading the Limerick newspaper it appears the Apollo 13 astronauts were being taken on a tour of small "neutral" nations by President Nixon. How ironic considering he canceled the project.Also, mention of the astronauts having to be protected from enthusiastic young autograph hunters made me smile - some things don't change! |
DamienM
New Member Posts: 2
From:
Registered: Oct 2015
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posted 11-26-2015 03:46 AM
I was looking through some boxes of old stuff I have had for 20+ years and came across a press information pack from a visit of the Apollo 13 astronauts to Ireland in 1970. There are three documents relating to the itinerary for the Dublin, Cork and Limerick visits, one that seems to be background information on space exploration at the time, and a partial bio for Captain Lovell which references the Apollo 13 mission. |
COR482932
Member Posts: 212
From: Cork, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 12-24-2015 05:59 PM
Thanks for all that info guys! Would have loved to have been around back them to see the crew of Apollo 13 in Ireland. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 12-28-2015 01:22 AM
It's interesting to note that exactly a year prior to this tour, Lovell and his wife were in the UK visiting a ship launched and named by Marilyn the previous May in Boston. |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 07-07-2018 01:01 PM
A dig through the archives of the Irish Times has shed some new light on the Irish leg of the 15-day Apollo 13 goodwill tour of Iceland, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Malta and Ireland.Tuesday 13 October 1970 13:20 - Arrival of Apollo 13 crew and wives and Apollo flight executives at Dublin Airport was greeted by US Ambassador John Moore, local dignitaries, and about 300 spectators on the airport balcony. Slow motorcade through the city of Dublin via O'Connell Street, D'Olier Street, Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green, Baggot Street, and Pembroke Road, in a white sports car with Apollo 13 emblem. Many buildings on the route still carried US flags from the visit of President Nixon and there was bright afternoon sunshine.16:00 - Press Conference at Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Wednesday 14 October 1970 Apollo 13 crew visited and toured St. Patrick's Cathedral Dublin led by the Dean Victor G. Griffin who had held an all-night prayer vigil there during the Apollo 13 flight. Later, there was an exchange of gifts including an inscribed crew signed picture for the Dean.The astronauts then proceeded to the official presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, in Dublin's Phoenix Park for a reception with President Éamon de Valera who had been born in Manhattan, New York, on 14th October 1882. Also in attendance was Taoiseach (prime minister) Jack Lynch. The astronauts made a gift to the President of a portion of the heat shield and mission patch made into an ornament. Such scientific ingredients helped save the astronauts' lives during the dangerous hours of their Moon mission. The ornament, about four inches high, was inscribed:"Apollo Thirteen: April 11-17: To His Excellency, Eamon de Valera, President of Ireland, from astronauts James A. Lovell, John L. Swigert and Fred W. Haise: presented October 14, 1970." The astronauts sang "Happy Birthday" as a toast was drunk in champagne to the 88 year old 1916 Rebellion Leader and Irish President.10:40 - The Apollo 13 crew and their wives departed Heuston Station, Dublin on the morning train to Ceannt Station, Cork. Their motorcade from Ceannt Station through Patrick Street to the Cork Opera House was dampened by the weather, but there was an enthusiastic audience of several hundred people at the Opera House for a scientific Q&A and autograph session and awards presentation. They then left Cork to spend Wednesday night at Dromoland Castle near Shannon. 17:30 - Astronauts arrive at Shannon Airport and travel to Dromoland Castle by road. 17:45 - Astronauts arrive at Dromoland Castle. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-07-2018 04:16 PM
Any idea how these particular countries were selected for the Apollo 13 tour? Is it any coincidence that — apart from Germany — Iceland, Switzerland, Greece, Malta and Ireland were small "neutral" countries the Apollo astronauts were less likely to be met by anti-Vietnam war protesters? |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 07-07-2018 06:10 PM
The desire to travel in small, friendly, neutral countries may well have been a factor given the political context of that era.The stop in Iceland may also have been a thank you gesture to the Icelandic people for the geological training NASA astronauts received there in July 1965 and July 1967. The same logic may have applied for the stop in Germany in gratitude for the Apollo 14 crew geological training in August 1970. In Konstanz in southern Germany on the border with Switzerland, the Apollo 13 crew attended the 21st Congress of the International Astronautical Federation. The German stop may also have been in tribute to von Braun, Wendt, and all the German rocket pioneers who propelled NASA to the Moon. It may have been a nod as well to Leitz who provided monoculars and binoculars for Apollo missions. Similarly, the stop in Switzerland may have been a thank you to all those Swiss horology experts at Omega who provided NASA astronauts with Speedmasters. Jim Lovell was quoted by The Irish Times as having "some Irish relations in the background." Pat Nixon's father was of Irish descent and her mother was German. Perhaps these factors influenced the choice of tour destinations, or perhaps not. |
minipci
Member Posts: 365
From: London, UK
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-09-2018 06:52 AM
quote:
Originally posted by dom:
...small "neutral" countries
Not sure what is meant by "neutral" here. Iceland and Greece have been members of NATO longer than Germany has, and still are. Iceland joined in 1949, Greece in 1952, and Germany (in the form of West Germany) in 1955. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-09-2018 01:16 PM
Although Ireland and Switzerland were/are not officially in NATO, my point about "neutral" is that this is a rather odd selection of countries for heroes like the recently returned Apollo 13 crew to tour. Was the Nixon White House trying to sway opinions in smaller non-aligned nations? |
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