when Mattingly says "I don't have the measles...
and glares at the Doctor. I always wish the Doc "Did you want to be up there" Really he did Mattingly a favor.
i told you not to stop the boat. Now lets go. Apocaylpse Now
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MovieChat Forums > Apollo 13 (1995) Discussion > when Mattingly says "I don't have the me...
Lovell later narrated that Mattingly later went on another mission, having never gotten the measles. But you're right. If there's even remotely a chance one could become sick, one doesn't leave the ground. They're extremely strict about astronauts being in ideal health, and they should be.
shareExactly, this is the U.S. Government we're talking about. If they suspect you even have a case of the sniffles, they will ground you. They really do not play around when you can possibly spread germs so many miles into space in a confined area. You risk putting lives in danger, and also wind up losing very costly equipment.
Honestly, I don't even know how Mattingly was ever approved to be an astronaut. Unless he originally lied about his medical history, one would think never having measles would be a permanent disqualification, especially during that era. The vaccine wasn't readily available until about 1971, a year later after the Apollo 13 mission.
It would have been wise if Lovell decided to hold off a little while longer so he could train with the rookie (Jack Swigert). But, the oxygen tanks would have ruptured one way or the other since nobody seemed to have caught the problem for several years prior.
To be fair in a movie that's remarkably accurate for the most part this is pure Hollywood drama. In reality once it was found out Ken was exposed to the measles never having had them there was no question, no debate.
Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!
I have no idea whether or not Mattingly actually did this or whether it was just dramatized for the sake of the movie. I wish the doctor in the film eyeballed Mattingly and just shrugged his shoulders or said "tough luck" or something like that. The doctor made the right call.
I suspect Mattingly in real life would have accepted the Doc's decision.
When I said I wanted to be a comedian, they all laughed at me. Well, they're not laughing now!
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Yes he would and did want to be up there. This was his team, his brothers. You fear your team could die.
You have to remember these teams train together for years. Like Hanks said we know each others thoughts, we know each others tones.
To Boldly Go Where Phil Coulson Has Gone Before