Apollo 13: Crisis in Space

Game Overview:
Students take on roles as Apollo 13 astronauts and NASA mission control engineers. The floor and walls transform dynamically to simulate key moments of the mission, including launch, the explosion, problem-solving in space, and re-entry.

The mission has three phases, each testing communication, decision-making, and knowledge of real Apollo 13 challenges.

Game Mechanics:
Phase 1: The Launch & Oxygen Tank Explosion (Coordination & Communication)
📍 Objective: Work as a team to execute the launch and respond to the in-flight emergency.

The floor simulates the Saturn V rocket launch, with vibration effects and countdown timers on the walls.

Students have assigned roles (Commander, Pilot, Engineer, Scientist, Mission Control, etc.).

Just after launch, a loud alarm sounds, and the wall displays flashing warnings—simulating the real Apollo 13 oxygen tank explosion.

🆘 Emergency Task:
Students must quickly diagnose and respond to the explosion by:

Checking the spacecraft’s status by tapping different control panels on the walls.

Isolating the damaged fuel cell before power drains completely.

Relaying information to Houston in a clear and concise way.

Switching to Lunar Module power to keep life-support running.

🔴 If they react too slowly, power levels drop too fast, making later challenges harder.
🟢 If successful, they stabilize the ship and gain an advantage in the next phase.

🎯 Lesson Learned: How real astronauts handle unexpected crises, importance of calm decision-making, and NASA’s emergency procedures.

Phase 2: Improvising a CO₂ Filter (Problem-Solving & Teamwork)
📍 Objective: Build a makeshift CO₂ filter using available materials before carbon dioxide reaches dangerous levels.

The floor shows oxygen levels dropping, with visual cues for increasing CO₂ levels.

The walls display a list of available materials (duct tape, plastic bags, cardboard, tubes—just like in the real Apollo 13 mission).

Students must physically assemble a filter by stepping on correct material zones in the right sequence while one student (Mission Control) reads NASA’s real instructions.

If they build it correctly within the time limit, CO₂ levels stabilize.

💥 If they fail, the walls show astronauts getting weaker, and they must retry with a penalty (e.g., a limited time extension).

🎯 Lesson Learned: Real-world engineering problem-solving, innovation under pressure, and the importance of precise teamwork.

Phase 3: Navigating & Re-Entry (Decision-Making & Communication)
📍 Objective: Use limited power to manually navigate and return safely to Earth.

The floor simulates the spacecraft drifting, and students must work together to fire thrusters manually using precise timing.

The walls display trajectory options, and they must choose the correct one based on real Apollo 13 flight adjustments.

To survive re-entry, they must:

Angle the spacecraft correctly (stand on correct floor zones).

Time the burn sequence precisely (press control points in sync).

Brace for communication blackout—they experience 3 minutes of silence where they must trust their calculations.

🌍 If successful, they splash down safely, and the walls display Apollo 13’s real-life recovery footage.
🔥 If they fail, they either bounce off Earth’s atmosphere or burn up on re-entry, leading to a mission debrief.

🎯 Lesson Learned: The importance of trust in teamwork, real spaceflight navigation challenges, and the delicate balance of re-entry physics.

Victory & Reflection:
At the end, students receive a mission performance rating based on:
✅ How well they managed the oxygen tank explosion.
✅ Whether they successfully built the CO₂ filter.
✅ Their accuracy in navigating re-entry.

NASA (displayed on the walls) gives a final verdict:

"Congratulations, Apollo 13 crew! You’ve made it home!" (if successful).

"Mission incomplete. Let’s analyze what went wrong." (if they failed).

They reflect on how teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability saved Apollo 13’s real crew and discuss what NASA learned from the mission.