A legendary astronaut who commanded the almost doomed Apollo 13 lunar mission has passed away at the age of 97.
Jim Lovell helped turn the 1970 failed moon mission into a success by safely bringing the crew back to Earth after an oxygen tank exploded.
NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced the commander’s passing, saying the astronaut’s life and work ‘inspired millions of people across the decades.’
‘Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,’ Duffy said. ‘We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.
‘From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the moon and beyond.’
Lovell was a veteran of four spaceflights: Gemini VII, Gemini XII, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.
Born in Ohio, he graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, becoming a test pilot.
Lovell served as a flight instructor and safety officer until 1963, when NASA selected him for a crewed space program.
Jim Lovell, a veteran of four space missions, helped turn a failed moon mission into a success by safely bringing the crew back to Earth after an oxygen tank exploded
The 1968 Apollo 8 crew, with Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders, was the first to leave Earth’s orbit and the first to fly to and circle the moon.
Though they could not land on the lunar surface, their mission still put the US ahead of the Soviets in the space race.
Letter writers said the crew’s historic ‘pale blue dot’ photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and their Christmas Eve reading from Genesis helped lift America during the turbulent year.
That year saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam and widespread protests against the Vietnam War and for civil rights.
The three astronauts broadcast a reading about Jesus’ birth to a worldwide television audience.
They each read portions of the first 10 verses of Genesis, marking a historic moment in space exploration and a cultural touchstone.
‘As the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, Jim and his crewmates became the first to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon, proving that the lunar landing was within our reach, Duffy shared.
‘As commander of the Apollo 13 mission, his calm strength under pressure helped return the crew safely to Earth and demonstrated the quick thinking and innovation that informed future NASA missions.’
Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks played Lovell in director Ron Howard’s acclaimed 1995 film, ‘Apollo 13’
NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced the commander’s passing, saying the astronaut’s life and work ‘inspired millions of people across the decades.’ Lovell was a veteran of four spaceflights: Gemini VII, Gemini XII, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13
The Apollo 13 mission, planned as the third lunar landing, was cut short when an oxygen tank in the Service Module exploded.
The blast, which happened roughly two days into the flight, severely damaged the spacecraft and knocked out the command module’s life support and electrical systems.
‘The thought crossed our mind that we were in deep trouble. But we never dwelled on it,’ Lovell said in the NASA interview.
‘We never admitted to ourselves that, ‘Hey, we’re not going to make it.’ Well, only one time – when Fred looked at … the lunar module and found out we had about 45 hours worth of power and we were 90 hours from home.’
Lovell and his crew, working closely with Mission Control, saved Apollo 13 by quickly adapting the lunar module into a lifeboat after an explosion crippled their spacecraft.
They relied on the module’s resources and engines to navigate around the moon and safely return to Earth, overcoming critical challenges such as limited oxygen, low power, and increasing carbon dioxide levels.
People worldwide were captivated by the events unfolding in space, and got a happy ending.
Apollo 13 was nearly doomed when it attempted to land on the moon, but the crew improvised and made it back to Earth safely (pictured)
The astronauts altered course to fly a single time around the moon and back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa on April 17, 1970.
‘Known for his wit, this unforgettable astronaut was nicknamed Smilin’ Jim by his fellow astronauts because he was quick with a grin when he had a particularly funny comeback, said Duffy.
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‘Jim also served our country in the military, and the Navy has lost a proud academy graduate and test pilot.
‘Jim Lovell embodied the bold resolve and optimism of both past and future explorers, and we will remember him always.’
Lovell, who later had a moon crater named in his honor, retired as an astronaut in 1973, working first for a harbor towing company and then in telecommunications.
Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks played Lovell in director Ron Howard’s acclaimed 1995 film, ‘Apollo 13.’
The movie was inspired by Lovell’s 1994 book, ‘Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13.’
Lovell recalled a meeting with Howard in which the director asked the astronaut which actor he would want to play him.
‘I said, ‘Kevin Costner,” Lovell said. ‘And Hanks never lets me forget that… But Hanks did a great job.’
Lovell made a cameo appearance in the film as the commander of the US Navy ship that retrieves the astronauts and shakes hands with Hanks.
Lovell had four children with his wife, Marilyn, who died in 2023.