Apollo 13

[Mr. P]

Who remembers this? What a flight! It also shows how important a human pilot is regardless of the advanced technology.
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Apollo 13 was the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of the American Apollo program. It launched on April 11, 1970. Two days after the launch, the Apollo spacecraft was crippled by an explosion, causing the Service Module portion of the Apollo Command/Service Module to lose its oxygen and electrical power. The crew used the Lunar Module as a “lifeboat” in space. The command module systems remained functional, but were deactivated to preserve its capability to reenter Earth’s atmosphere upon return to the earth. The crew endured difficult conditions due to severe constraints on power, cabin heat, and potable water, but successfully returned to Earth.

[glockmail]

Shit do I. And the Tom Hanks movie is still my favorite.

But, if there no human pilots on board, then there would have been no danger to human life and no epic struggle required. Apollo 13 would be a mere asterisk in history.