ROGER LAUNIUS, APOLLO’S LEGACY—No work captures the ceremonial connotations of spaceflight more effectively than Apollo 13. … Ron Howard … depicts … astronauts as reverent supplicants … priests donning their vestments in anticipation of spiritual renewal.
No work captures the ceremonial connotations of spaceflight more effectively than [the 1995 feature film] Apollo 13. [Directed by] Ron Howard [from a screenplay by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert, it tells the harrowing story of Jim Lovell and his crew of Apollo astronauts, who failed to reach the Moon but did return safely to Earth despite a major accident that crippled their spacecraft. Howard produced, whether intentionally or not, a fable that depicted well the very real ritual of preparing for launch. In the film's launch sequence, Howard] depicts [the] astronauts as reverent supplicants [seeking higher purpose. Their suiting up for the mission, done with inspiring full-orchestral accompaniment, bears close resemblance to] priests donning their vestments in anticipation of spiritual renewal.
| A. | Elton John hit inspired by a Ray Bradbury short story (2 wds.) | ROCKETMAN |
| B. | Power point? (2 wds., one hyph.) | ONOFFSWITCH |
| C. | Major progress for mankind (2 wds.) | GIANTLEAP |
| D. | Not occurring in the usual place, in obstetrics | ECTOPIC |
| E. | Vagabond; generic dog name | ROVER |
| F. | George Bailey's means of pulling down the moon | LASSO |
| G. | Popular steak condiment (2 wds.) | A1SAUCE |
| H. | Tacit; nuncupative | UNWRITTEN |
| I. | Jersey numbers for Ted Williams and Roger Maris | NINES |
| J. | 2013 Marvel film co-starring Ben Kingsley (3 wds.) | IRONMAN3 |
| K. | "Two things are infinite, the _____ and human stupidity, and I am not yet completely sure about the _____": Einstein | UNIVERSE |
| L. | Container at a wine tasting | SPITTOON |
| M. | Fireplace receptacles | ASHPITS |
| N. | One of Natty Bumppo's sobriquets | PATHFINDER |
| O. | Reduce the stock, in a way | OVERFISH |
| P. | Coffeehouse craftsmanship (2 wds.) | LATTEART |
| Q. | Songwriter with the lyric "Jai Guru Deva, Om" | LENNON |
| R. | Public perception; branch of physics | OPTICS |
| S. | Counterpart of Answer C. (2 wds.) | SMALLSTEP |
| T. | Port, for a sailor | LEFT |
| U. | Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor who attended Columbia on a football scholarship (2 wds.) | EDHARRIS |
| V. | _____ Gould, pianist who performed on a low chair | GLENN |
| W. | Prize; realize; rise | APPRECIATE |
| X. | State tree of Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming | COTTONWOOD |
| Y. | Cosmonaut Gagarin | YURI |