Final answer:
Apollo 13's mission was to land on the moon and return to Earth. It was part of the Apollo lunar missions aimed at advancing scientific exploration on the Moon. However, due to an in-flight explosion, Apollo 13 had to abort the lunar landing.
Step-by-step explanation:
What mission was Apollo 13 originally assigned to perform? The primary objective of Apollo 13 was to land on the moon and return to earth. This mission was part of a series of US Apollo lunar missions conducted between 1968 and 1972, which aimed to explore the Moon more comprehensively. While earlier flights had focused on initial landings on flat plains for safety reasons, later missions, including Apollo 13, sought to advance scientific exploration by selecting more geologically diverse landing sites. Subsequent missions were characterized by longer durations on the lunar surface and more sophisticated equipment, including an electrically driven 'moon buggy' used by crews from Apollo 15 onward. However, Apollo 13 never accomplished its goal due to an in-flight incident that forced the crew to abort the landing and return to Earth after an explosion on board.