'Apollo 13' heading to IMAX theaters in US
How accurate was 'Apollo 13' movie? What to know about NASA mission
'Apollo 13' partially filmed in Florida, premiered on Space Coast
Who were the astronauts of NASA's Apollo 13 mission?
'Apollo 13' 30th anniversary trailer
'Apollo 13' cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon star

Houston, we have an ... IMAX release.

More than 55 years ago, three astronauts en route to the moon had to abandon their dreams of reaching the lunar surface when their spacecraft encountered some serious trouble. The spacefarers' perilous journey back to Earth was later recounted in "Apollo 13," a star-studded film released in 1995 whose title is the same as the now-infamous NASA mission.

To mark the Oscar-winning film's 30th anniversary, Universal Pictures announced "Apollo 13" will soon head to IMAX theaters across the United States.

Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, the late Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon, "Apollo 13" bills itself as "the dramatic true story" of how NASA engineers in Houston, Texas, worked with the three astronauts to get them home safely.

But how much of Hollywood's retelling is fact. vs fiction?

Here's what to know about "Apollo 13," its impending cinematic re-release and the true story of the real-life mission that inspired the film.

'Apollo 13' heading to IMAX theaters in US

Universal Pictures and IMAX announced Thursday, July 24, that "Apollo 13" is heading back to IMAX theaters, which are known for having larger screens than a typical movie theater and steep stadium seating.

The Sept. 19, 2025, IMAX premiere is meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film's original June 30, 1995, theatrical release.

This isn't the first time "Apollo 13" was shown in IMAX long after its initial theatrical run. A digital remaster of the movie was first re-released for IMAX in 2002.

How accurate was 'Apollo 13' movie? What to know about NASA mission

Six astronauts and two flight controllers monitor the console activity in the Mission Operations Control Room of the Mission Control Center in Houstoin during the problem-plagued Apollo 13 lunar landing mission.

"Apollo 13" is inspired by the nearly disastrous April 1970 mission of the same name in which NASA's third planned mission to the moon had to be abandoned when an oxygen tank exploded on the service module.

For the three astronauts selected for the mission – Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise – the critical mishap two days into the mission transformed the spaceflight into a life-or-death situation. Relying on backup life-support systems on the Apollo Lunar Module meant to transport them to the moon's surface from orbit, the astronauts used primitive methods of celestial navigation to make their way back to Earth.

While in constant communication with flight controllers in Houston, Texas, the astronauts safely made a water landing April 17, 1970, in the South Pacific Ocean – six days after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Astronaut John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot, is lifted aboard a helicopter in a "Billy Pugh" net while astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., commander, awaits his turn. Astronaut Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, is already aboard the helicopter during recovery operations April 17, 1970.

'Apollo 13' partially filmed in Florida, premiered on Space Coast

Ron Howard, who directed "Apollo 13," reportedly went to great effort to ensure the on-screen depiction of the mission was as accurate and realistic as possible. Lovell and NASA experts consulted on the film, which was even partially filmed at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island.

What's more, two days before the film was widely released, it had a June 28, 1995 premiere on Florida's Space Coast, according to the website SpaceAgeChronicle. Haise and his wife, Mary, were both in attendance, as were many who were part of the Apollo 13 mission 25 years earlier.

Who were the astronauts of NASA's Apollo 13 mission?

A NASA picture shows astronaut Fred W. Haise, Jr. working inside the Apollo 13 lunar module after the explosion of the ship's oxygen tanks on April 13, 1970. The third Apollo crewed mission to the moon was cancelled due to an onboard explosion, forcing the crew to leave the command module and climb into the LEM (Lunar Exploration Module) before navigating their way back to Earth. Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert and Fred W. Haise, Jr. were rescued in good condition after splashing down safely in the Pacific.

The mission was under the command of Cleveland, Ohio, native Jim Lovell, then a veteran of three previous spaceflights who was first selected as a NASA astronaut in September 1962.

Jack Swigert, the command module pilot, had been selected as a NASA astronaut in 1966. Swigert, a native of Denver, Colorado, was a backup astronaut for the Apollo 13 mission and replaced astronaut Ken Mattingly, who was grounded after exposure to rubella.

The third crew member of Apollo 13 was Biloxi, Mississippi native Fred Haise, the Lunar Module pilot who was part of the same astronaut class as Swigert.

Lovell, 97, and Haise, 91 are the two remaining living crew members of Apollo 13.

'Apollo 13' 30th anniversary trailer

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