Apollo 13 command module after a successful return.
The flight controllers and support staff in Houston had a challenge that they had to meet. They were suddenly given a series of problems that must solved in a short amount of time. They had no time for task forces, meetings, or politics. Everyone was focused on bringing the lunar module containing Apollo 13 astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert, Fred Haise back to Earth safely.
Hours earlier, Apollo 13 had radioed with a serious message. On a routine stirring of the oxygen tanks, the number two oxygen tank in the Service Module had exploded.
The mission launched on April 11, 1970 at 13:13 CST. Two days later, while the mission was en route to the moon, a fault in the electrical system of one of the Service Module’s oxygen tanks produced an explosion which caused a loss of electrical power and failure of both oxygen tanks. The command module remained functional on its own batteries and oxygen tank, which were only designed to support the vehicle during the last hours of flight. The crew shut down the Command Module and used the Lunar Module as a “lifeboat” during the return trip to earth. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, and a shortage of potable water, the crew returned safely to Earth, and the mission was termed a “successful failure.”
NASA was entirely focused on solving the problem of bringing the astronauts home safely. It was a problem they MUST solve.
Although it’s unlikely that your buyer will feel the problem you’d like to solve this acutely, this is what is meant by a troubling problem. When a problem is felt this strongly, there is no doubt that the pain of inaction exceeds the pain of action.
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