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Case Study: Apollo 13 — How the YRoot Mirrors Real-Life Crisis Thinking

1. What happened?​

On April 11, 1970, NASA launched Apollo 13. The mission's goal was to land two astronauts on the Moon. But just two days into the flight, something went terribly wrong.

"Houston, we’ve had a problem."
— astronaut Jack Swigert, after an oxygen tank exploded on board

This explosion severely damaged the spacecraft. The original goal was abandoned. The new goal was clear: bring the astronauts back home alive.

2. How did NASA respond?​

What followed was an extraordinary example of human problem solving.
Engineers and astronauts had to understand the situation, figure out what was needed, and quickly find workable solutions—often using whatever materials were already on board.

Their thinking closely mirrors the YRoot.

3. Applying the YRoot (retrospectively)​

Let’s look at how the YRoot would have structured their reasoning.

Step 1 — GOAL​

What do you want to achieve?
Return the crew safely to Earth.

Why?
Because their lives are at risk and the spacecraft is severely damaged.

Step 2 — NEEDS​

To reach that goal, certain things had to be true:

NeedWhy it's necessary
N1. Life supportAstronauts need oxygen, clean air, and safe temperature
N2. Structural integrityThe spacecraft must hold together for the full journey
N3. Accurate re-entryThe return path must be calculated and executed precisely

We’ll focus on N1: Life Support to show how the YRoot helps.

4. Strategic Bifurcation — Life Support (N1)​

Once the need is identified, the YRoot asks:

What could help? Why might it work?
What could go wrong? Why might it fail?

3A — What could help?​

Proposed Solution: Use the Lunar Module (LM) — the small lander — as a temporary shelter
Why this might work:
The LM had its own oxygen and power systems, separate from the damaged parts of the ship.

But it wasn’t built to keep three people alive for days — only two, and only for a short time on the Moon.

So... to make it work, they had to break it down into sub-needs.

Sub-Need 1: Make the LM last longer than it was designed for​

Sub-NeedProposed SolutionWhy it might workRisk
Conserve powerShut down everything not essentialLess energy usedCrew would be cold and lose some instruments
Remove CO₂Reuse air filters from the Command ModuleAlready available on boardFilters didn’t fit — round vs. square connectors
Keep warmStay still and use body heatConserves energyRisk of condensation, illness
tip

Insight from the YRoot:
Breaking down the need (life support) into smaller, solvable parts helps identify specific actions — even if they weren’t part of the original plan.

3B — What could go wrong?​

  • The LM wasn’t built for this.
    It might run out of power, oxygen, or fail unexpectedly.

  • No instructions existed.
    Everything had to be invented on the fly.

  • Human factors: Cold, fatigue, and stress could affect the astronauts' performance.

caution

This is where the YRoot shows its strength:
Instead of focusing only on what might work, it pushes you to think about what might fail—so you can prepare for it.

Outcome​

  • Power was conserved. The crew endured cold and discomfort.
  • Engineers built a workaround for the CO₂ filter using tape, cardboard, and plastic.
  • No one knew if the LM would last — but it did.

→ The astronauts survived.

5. Navigation: A second YRoot​

When it came time to return to Earth, the crew faced a new problem:

With the guidance systems off, how do we steer?

Goal​

Return to Earth safely, entering at the right angle.

Needs​

  • A flight path that would take them back to Earth.
  • A way to steer manually.

What helped?​

  • They used the Moon’s gravity to “slingshot” around and head home.
  • They aligned the ship by looking out the window, using the Earth’s edge and a pencil mark on the glass.
  • They timed engine burns with a wristwatch, since no automated timer was running.

What could go wrong?​

  • Even a small error could cause the ship to miss Earth completely.
  • Manual steering under stress is difficult.
  • Low power meant no second chances.

→ But it worked.

6. Why the YRoot fits​

The YRoot didn’t exist in 1970.
But NASA’s thinking followed a similar logic:

  1. Redefine the goal
  2. Identify what must be true
  3. Ask what could help — and what could go wrong
  4. Break complex problems into solvable parts
  5. Act on what is most viable

This case shows how the YRoot reflects real-world reasoning in a crisis.
It doesn’t give you the answers — but it guides you to find them under pressure.

References​