Apr 17, 1970, Apollo 13 Returns Home Beating Numerological 13s! Retweet! On 4-11-70 — adding to 13 — Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 Houston time from Cape Canaveral, FL, with astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert, Fred Haise. Lovell on Apr 13: "Houston, we've had a problem here!”