The Apollo 13 space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 2:13 p.m. (EST), April 11, 1970. The prime crew of NASA's third lunar landing mission were astronauts James A., Lovell Jr., commander; John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot; and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot. The Apollo 13 craft and crew launched successfully, but when an oxygen tank exploded two days later rendering the Service Module ineffective, the mission was aborted. The crew returned safely to Earth on April 17. NASA followed this mission with Apollo 14 in January 1971, which saw a successful Moon landing and safe return of its crew.