Here's why:
* Apollo 13's Mission: Apollo 13 was on a mission to the Moon. This means they were in a much higher orbit than LEO.
* Lunar Trajectory: To reach the Moon, the spacecraft had to leave Earth's orbit and enter a trajectory that would take it towards the Moon.
* Return Trajectory: When Apollo 13's mission was aborted due to the explosion, they had to perform a complex maneuver to slingshot back around the Moon and return to Earth. This return trajectory involved entering the Earth's atmosphere at a high speed and a steep angle.
LEO is a much lower orbit (around 160-2,000 kilometers above Earth), whereas Apollo 13 was traveling at much higher altitudes during its lunar mission.
It's important to note that the re-entry was one of the most dangerous parts of the Apollo 13 mission. The crew had to rely on limited resources and ingenuity to overcome the technical challenges and safely return to Earth.
