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Apollo 13, Meteorites, and Nininger

Hello Everyone,

I recently purchased a CD on the Apollo 13 flight and it contained images from
newspaper articles from that time.  This short article was of interest to me
and I thought I would share it.  It is from a Houston paper (sorry, I am not
familiar with the papers in Houston):

Sedone, Ariz. April 14 - One of the worlds foremost meteor experts said today
that a small meteorite may have knocked out Apollo 13's electrical system.

Dr. Harvey Nininger, compiler of the famed Nininger collection of meteorites
said he could not prove his theory, but told a reporter, "my opinion is that's
what happened."

Weight was added to the theory by James A. McDivitt, Apollo program manager
and a fomer astronaut.

"It was something that appeared to be quiet violent that occured in bay four
(of the spaceship)," McDivitt said, "and if it were struck by a meteorite,
that would be quiet violent.  I wouldn't say that's what happened but I would
not rule it out."

One wonders how Nininger could express so definite an opinion without any
evidence.  McDivitt was hardly a "former astronaut."  He was a veteren of both
the Gemini and Apollo programs and was well respected (and was obviously more
cautious.)

-Walter
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