Behind-the-scenes Production of Apollo 13

As early as the preparatory stage, director Ron Howard decided that every shot in Apollo 13 should be as real as possible, but never use any real mission pictures. The interior of the spacecraft in the film was built by the aerospace engineering department of the Kansas Space and Space Center. Although the two command modules and the lunar module used in the shooting are replicas, there are many parts on the spacecraft, many of which can be moved, so that the camera can shoot in a narrow space. In order to use Boeing KC- 135 weightless aircraft to shoot the scene in the cabin, the aerospace engineering department also made corresponding adjustments to the command module and the lunar module. The pressure suit worn by the hero in the film is not only the same in appearance as the real thing, but also not inferior in sealing. When an actor wears a helmet, oxygen used to cool down and ensure smooth breathing will quickly enter the interior, which is exactly the same as a real spacesuit. In order to assist in filming, NASA planned to provide a control center for the crew in Houston, but Howard refused to use live filming and chose to set up a control center in Universal Studios instead. Michael Corenblith, the artistic director, and Marides Bao Si Weil, the scenery designer, fully referred to the detailed instructions of the Houston Control Center. As a film consultant, NASA employees think that the scenery shot with huge rear projection screen and complicated computer system is so accurate that even he can't help believing it.

Before filming, Tom Hanks, bill paxton and Kevin Bacon attended a space training camp in Hansville. Astronaut Jim Lovell and Apollo 15 commander David Scott instructed several actors to receive professional training in the simulated command module and the lunar module.