Released after Apollo 11 and 12, and just months before Apollo 13 launched, the film had a surprising real-world impact. Ground support engineer Jerry Woodfield watched Marooned hours before the Apollo 13 accident and credits it with influencing his decisions during the crisis.
The film’s depiction of astronauts recharging batteries from a spare set — an undocumented but vital step — helped him think creatively under extreme pressure. This insight played a role in the successful rescue of the Apollo 13 crew, highlighting how a movie can inspire critical problem-solving in real-life emergencies.
The incident underscores the unexpected ways entertainment can influence real-world decisions, especially in moments of crisis, demonstrating that fiction sometimes offers valuable lessons for actual life-and-death situations.
