Other mistake: As Taylor is dying, there is blood on his hand. When his hand lands on the bomb's detonator after he dies, his hand slides off, but no blood is shown on the detonator. (01:29:35)
Other mistake: Near the beginning Taylor gives Nova his dog tags. Where did he have these during the whole first movie that they were never found, and why would he have hidden them?
Other mistake: As Taylor realises what man did in the years from his leaving until his return, he is slamming his fist on the dirt screaming "Damn you all to hell." In the first Apes movie, he didn't give this final line until he was amid the surf waters, but here the water was a couple feet from him.
Chosen answer: It's never explained. The ship had gone through a time warp and that may have rendered it inoperable once it arrived at the new time destination.
raywest ★