Apollo 13 Home Safe | NASA

The phrase "Apollo 13 Home Safe" refers to the successful return of the Apollo 13 mission to Earth. Apollo 13 was the seventh crewed mission in NASA's Apollo space program and was intended to be the third mission to land on the Moon. However, the mission encountered a critical issue when an oxygen tank in the service module exploded, which forced the mission to be aborted.

The mission's crew, consisting of Commander James A. Lovell, Command Module Pilot John L. Swigert, and Lunar Module Pilot Fred W. Haise, had to rely on the Lunar Module "Aquarius" as a lifeboat to provide life support and propulsion to safely return to Earth.

After several days of intense problem-solving and improvisation, the crew executed a critical engine burn and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970. This mission is often hailed as a triumph of teamwork, ingenuity, and NASA's ability to handle crises in space exploration.

The phrase "Apollo 13 Home Safe" is attributed to Gene Kranz, the flight director for Apollo 13, who said it when the spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere and safely returned to Earth. It has become a symbol of the successful mission and the dedication and resourcefulness of the people involved in the mission's safe return.