11/24/2025
Are YOU up to date on your taxes?
During the dangerous Apollo 13 mission, astronaut Jack Swigert had a sudden realization that had nothing to do with space: he hadn't filed his income taxes.
While floating miles above Earth, he admitted the mistake to Mission Control. NASA quickly contacted the IRS, who agreed that Swigert technically qualified as being "out of the country" and granted him an extension.
Amid the life-threatening oxygen tank explosion and the desperate race to return home, this mundane problem provided a rare moment of humor. It proves the old saying true: even in outer space, you can't escape taxes.
