Ed Smylie, a NASA official who played a crucial role in saving the Apollo 13 crew with duct tape, has passed away at the age of 95. Smylie and his team of engineers created an ingenious apparatus using cardboard, plastic bags, and duct tape to refresh the canisters of lithium hydroxide that would absorb poisonous gases in the lunar module.
On April 13, 1970, after an oxygen tank exploded on board the spacecraft, Smylie sprang into action, contacting the crew systems office and guiding the astronauts through a series of steps to build the adapter. Despite a tight deadline, their solution worked, allowing the astronauts to breathe safely in the lunar module for two days.
Smylie’s quick thinking and ingenuity earned him recognition from President Richard Nixon, who awarded NASA’s mission operations team the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Smylie’s humble nature belied his importance; he downplayed his role in saving the crew, saying it was “pretty straightforward.”
Born in Mississippi in 1929, Smylie studied mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University and worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company before joining NASA. He became chief of the crew systems division and led the team that created the duct tape solution.
Smylie’s legacy extends beyond his heroic actions during the Apollo 13 mission. Duct tape has become an iconic symbol of resourcefulness and ingenuity in American life, with many crediting Smylie’s solution as a pivotal moment in its history.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/science/space/ed-smylie-dead.html