On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on what was to be the third landing on the moon. But the mission would turn into a harrowing odyssey as the three astronauts struggled to return to Earth after an explosion crippled their spacecraft. Here’s a look at images of the mission from the archives at NASA.

The prime crew of the Apollo 13 mission post for a publicity photo. From left: James A. Lovell Jr., commander; Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot; and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot.

NASA