According to several consistent accounts, the first production of Apollo 13 consisted of only 500 seeds. The strain is a cross by the seed company Brothers Grimm of a female Genius cutting with a P75 father. The breeder's own dating places the earliest surviving description at around 1998. Despite the small run, the strain remained known mainly as a breeding partner: a cutting from that first batch served Subcool's The Dank, formerly TGAgenetics, as the basis for several crosses.
Genetics and Origin:
Genius is listed in strain descriptions as a Jack Herer phenotype, whereas a 2010 grow report calls it an offspring of Jack Herer and an unknown father. According to breeder information, P75 came from Princess and P.50, which in turn combines Princess with Shiva Skunk. Whether Apollo 13 leans toward indica or sativa remains open: the early breeder description speaks of a balanced ratio, one strain description gives 85 % sativa, and another points to phenotypes of both directions.
For a later reissue, Brothers Grimm pollinated the most highly regarded female of the original line with a P75 male from old seeds that MrSoul had kept.
Subcool's The Dank crossed its own Apollo 13 cutting with Querkle to make The Void, also called Purple Apollo 13, and with Jack the Ripper to make The Third Dimension. For Apollo 13 BX, a backcross onto a hybrid of Apollo 13 and Space Queen followed. Further offspring are said to include Vortex, Astroboy and Astro Snacks, a cross with Purple Kush.
Aroma and Flavor:
Brothers Grimm described the original as skunky with a penetrating smell, and the reissue as citrus and mango. Strain descriptions add pepper and earth, along with sour fruit; for flavor they mention herbal notes leaning toward tea and a skunky aftertaste. User reports emphasize pepper and spice, a few also mango, earth or a hash-like tone. The 2010 grow report records a peppery smell of fermenting fruit, topped by a sharp citrus note on a skunk base. Strain descriptions list myrcene, caryophyllene and pinene as the dominant terpenes.
Effects:
Breeder and strain descriptions portray a clear, cerebral effect with a stimulating character; Brothers Grimm stresses that paranoia does not occur. User reports confirm this in essence and mention euphoria, lifted mood, creativity and drive, in part also talkativeness, silliness or increased arousal. Some consumers went through relaxation up to sleepiness after the first phase, and one found the strain body-focused. Reported side effects are dry mouth, dry eyes and headaches, occasionally also mild nervousness and paranoia; one report describes the strength as overwhelming.
THC Content:
Strain descriptions give a THC content of 15 to 19 % for Apollo 13.
Cultivation:
The early description by Brothers Grimm gives 45 to 55 days of flowering, a height of 120 to 150 cm and 400 g/m². For the reissue, the breeder states 50 to 60 days and describes stocky plants with short internodes, strong branches and dense, resinous buds; the breeder puts the yield at 4 to 8 ounces per plant in soil. Strain descriptions rate cultivation as uncomplicated.
A detailed grow report from 2010 paints a different picture. In it, Apollo 13 grew vine-like into a wide, drooping bush that had to be supported with bamboo stakes and wire. The plants were topped to obtain at least 3 main shoots and kept in vegetative growth for 2 months. The report gives a harvest window of 45 to 65 days, high nitrogen demand until about day 30 of flowering, daytime temperatures around 75 °F and sensitivity to cold nights. In a warm environment the buds formed foxtails; depending on conditions, the range extended from airy to compact colas. Trimming took more than 4 hours.
Versions from Different Breeders:
NorStar Genetics describes Genius × P75 with around 53 days of flowering, as regular seeds only. Zenseeds calls its version revised Grimm genetics from the same cross, leaning toward sativa, with 55 to 70 days of flowering and a favorable calyx-to-leaf ratio. Reserva Privada lists an Apollo 13 Sativa from Genius and P75 with fir-tree-shaped growth and likewise around 53 days. The Apollo 13 IBL from East Coast Seeds is an F4 line that goes back to the reintroduction by TGAgenetics; the breeder gives 55 to 60 days, 18 to 20 % THC and a medium yield, and describes short, heavily branched plants with a high calyx proportion.
Tea 
Herbs 
Mango