Apollo 13 (NASA mission case study)

Apollo 13 was a NASA mission aimed at landing astronauts on the Moon, but an oxygen tank exploded en route, damaging the spacecraft. This critical failure forced the crew to abort the lunar landing and instead focus on safely returning to Earth. Engineers on the ground worked quickly to develop creative solutions, like using the lunar module as a "lifeboat" and improvising repairs. Despite the life-threatening challenges, the crew successfully returned home unharmed, demonstrating resilience, teamwork, and innovative problem-solving under pressure. The mission highlighted the importance of contingency planning and real-time troubleshooting in complex engineering ventures.