Question

saving the apollo 13 mission
on april 11, 1970, apollo 13 was launched for a planned moon landing. two days into the
mission, however, one of the oxygen tanks in the spacecraft exploded, causing a loss of
air, electricity, and water. the moon landing had to be canceled, and the astronauts had
to figure out how to get home. their solution was to move into the lunar module, the
small craft that was supposed to land on the moon, for much of the remaining trip. the
lunar module contained fewer supplies, however. therefore, the astronauts had to
conserve as much food and water as possible. by firing the lunar modules engine, the
men were able to get the spacecraft on the correct course to return to earth. on april 17,
apollo 13 landed safely in the pacific ocean.
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
after an explosion on apollo 13, the astronauts took shelter in the lunar
module.
after an explosion on apollo 13, the spaceship began to lose air, water, and
power.
after an explosion on apollo 13, the astronauts had to conserve supplies.

Explanation:

To find the central idea, we analyze each option:

• The first option only mentions taking shelter in the lunar module, but the passage also focuses on conserving supplies and returning home, so it's not the main idea.
• The second option describes the explosion's effects but doesn't cover the astronauts' actions to get home, like conserving supplies and correcting the course.
• The third option captures the key point: after the explosion, the astronauts had to conserve supplies (since the lunar module had fewer supplies) as part of their efforts to return home safely, which aligns with the overall narrative of solving the problem to get back to Earth.

Answer:

After an explosion on Apollo 13, the astronauts had to conserve supplies.