"Houston, we have a problem" is a popular but slightly erroneous quotation from the radio communications between the Apollo 13 astronauts Jack Swigert, Jim Lovell and the NASAMission Control Center ("Houston") during the Apollo 13 spaceflight in 1970,[2] as the astronauts communicated their discovery of the explosion that crippled their spacecraft to mission control.
The words actually spoken, initially by Swigert, were "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here". After being prompted to repeat the transmission by CAPCOMJack R. Lousma, this time Lovell responded with "Uh, Houston, we've had a problem."[1] The phrase was changed to the better-known version in the 1995 film Apollo 13.
Since then, the phrase "Houston, we have a problem" has become popular,[3] being used to account, informally, the emergence of an unforeseen problem,[4] often with a sense of ironic understatement.
The Apollo 13 Flight Journal lists the timestamps and dialogue between the astronauts and Mission Control.[1] Along with the original audio, the message was:
55:55:19 Swigert: Okay, Houston...
55:55:19 Lovell: [Garbled]
55:55:20 Swigert: ...we've had a problem here.
55:55:28 Lousma: This is Houston. Say again, please.
55:55:35 Lovell: Uh, Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a Main B Bus Undervolt.
In Chapter 13 of Apollo Expeditions to the Moon (1975), Jim Lovell recalls the event: "Jack Swigert saw a warning light that accompanied the bang, and said, 'Houston, we've had a problem here.' I came on and told the ground that it was a main B bus undervolt. The time was 21:08 hours on April 13."[5]
In media
In the 1995 film Apollo 13, the actual quote was shortened to "Houston, we have a problem". Screenwriter William Broyles Jr. made the change, stating that the verb tense actually used "wasn't as dramatic". Broyles and American University linguist Naomi S. Baron said the actual line spoken would not work well in a suspense movie. Movie viewers knew what had happened, while Mission Control did not at the time.[6] The quote ranked at No. 50 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movie Quotes in June 2005.[7]
References
^ abcWoods, W. David; Kemppanen, Johannes; Turhanov, Alexander; Waugh, Lennox J. (eds.). "Day 3, part 2: 'Houston, we've had a problem'". Apollo 13 Flight Journal. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
^"Houston, We've Had a Problem". Retrieved June 29, 2016.
^"¿Por qué la frase: Houston, tenemos un problema?" [Why the phrase: Houston, we have a problem?]. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
^ ["Houston, we have a problem" – Jack Swigert] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
^Lovell, James A. "Apollo Expeditions to the Moon: Chapter 13". Retrieved November 7, 2018.
^Rosenwald, Michael S. (April 13, 2017). "'Houston, we have a problem': The amazing history of the iconic Apollo 13 misquote". Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
^"100 Greatest Quotes in Movies". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
Bibliography
Lovell, Jim; Kluger, Jeffrey (1994). Lost Moon. ISBN0395670292.
External links
Look up Houston, we have a problem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
"¿Cuándo se pronunció la famosa frase "Houston, tenemos un problema"?" [When was the famous phrase "Houston, we have a problem" uttered?] (in Spanish). 13 April 2010.
. Archived from the original on 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
April 14, 2023
houston, have, problem, this, article, about, misquote, itself, docufiction, film, 2016, houston, have, problem, film, television, film, 1974, houston, problem, popular, slightly, erroneous, quotation, from, radio, communications, between, apollo, astronauts, . This article is about the misquote itself For the docufiction film of 2016 see Houston We Have a Problem film For the television film of 1974 see Houston We ve Got a Problem Houston we have a problem is a popular but slightly erroneous quotation from the radio communications between the Apollo 13 astronauts Jack Swigert Jim Lovell and the NASA Mission Control Center Houston during the Apollo 13 spaceflight in 1970 2 as the astronauts communicated their discovery of the explosion that crippled their spacecraft to mission control Houston we have a problemOrigin etymologyApollo 13 mission Original form Okay Houston we ve had a problem here 1 Coined byJack SwigertHouston we ve had a problem source source track track Swigert and Lovell reporting the incident on April 13 1970 2 59 Problems playing this file See media help The words actually spoken initially by Swigert were Okay Houston we ve had a problem here After being prompted to repeat the transmission by CAPCOM Jack R Lousma this time Lovell responded with Uh Houston we ve had a problem 1 The phrase was changed to the better known version in the 1995 film Apollo 13 Since then the phrase Houston we have a problem has become popular 3 being used to account informally the emergence of an unforeseen problem 4 often with a sense of ironic understatement Contents 1 The message 2 In media 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External linksThe message EditThe Apollo 13 Flight Journal lists the timestamps and dialogue between the astronauts and Mission Control 1 Along with the original audio the message was 55 55 19 Swigert Okay Houston 55 55 19 Lovell Garbled 55 55 20 Swigert we ve had a problem here 55 55 28 Lousma This is Houston Say again please 55 55 35 Lovell Uh Houston we ve had a problem We ve had a Main B Bus Undervolt In Chapter 13 of Apollo Expeditions to the Moon 1975 Jim Lovell recalls the event Jack Swigert saw a warning light that accompanied the bang and said Houston we ve had a problem here I came on and told the ground that it was a main B bus undervolt The time was 21 08 hours on April 13 5 In media EditIn the 1995 film Apollo 13 the actual quote was shortened to Houston we have a problem Screenwriter William Broyles Jr made the change stating that the verb tense actually used wasn t as dramatic Broyles and American University linguist Naomi S Baron said the actual line spoken would not work well in a suspense movie Movie viewers knew what had happened while Mission Control did not at the time 6 The quote ranked at No 50 on AFI s 100 Greatest Movie Quotes in June 2005 7 References Edit a b c Woods W David Kemppanen Johannes Turhanov Alexander Waugh Lennox J eds Day 3 part 2 Houston we ve had a problem Apollo 13 Flight Journal Retrieved 2020 08 02 Houston We ve Had a Problem Retrieved June 29 2016 Por que la frase Houston tenemos un problema Why the phrase Houston we have a problem Retrieved June 29 2016 Houston tenemos un problema Jack Swigert Houston we have a problem Jack Swigert in Spanish Archived from the original on October 3 2016 Retrieved June 29 2016 Lovell James A Apollo Expeditions to the Moon Chapter 13 Retrieved November 7 2018 Rosenwald Michael S April 13 2017 Houston we have a problem The amazing history of the iconic Apollo 13 misquote Washington Post Retrieved January 22 2020 100 Greatest Quotes in Movies American Film Institute Retrieved January 22 2020 Bibliography EditLovell Jim Kluger Jeffrey 1994 Lost Moon ISBN 0395670292 External links Edit Look up Houston we have a problem in Wiktionary the free dictionary Cuando se pronuncio la famosa frase Houston tenemos un problema When was the famous phrase Houston we have a problem uttered in Spanish 13 April 2010 Spacelog Apollo 13 Archived from the original on 2016 06 06 Retrieved 2016 07 05 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Houston we have a problem amp oldid 1148724913, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
