James Lovell, the famous NASA astronaut who led the Apollo 13 mission through a crisis that almost turned into a disaster, has d!ed at the age of 97.
Credit: Bettmann Archive
According to NASA, Lovell passed away in Lake Forest, Illinois, on Thursday, August 7.
The agency said in a statement, “Lovell’s life and work inspired millions.” His bravery in tough times helped us get to the Moon and beyond, and that adventure is still going on today.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said that Lovell’s integrity and unwavering bravery converted what could have been a tragedy into a success from which we learnt a lot. Even while we are sad about his de@th, we are also happy with what he did.
To return the damaged spacecraft to Earth, Lovell, his crewmates Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, and Mission Control collaborated closely. It was Lovell who introduced the well-known remark, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”
Credit: Bettmann Archive
The mission, which Lovell later referred to as a “successful failure,” served as evidence of cooperation and ingenuity.
It became well-known in the 1995 Ron Howard film Apollo 13, in which Lovell himself made an appearance and Tom Hanks played Lovell. Like in the film, one of NASA’s greatest moments was the crew’s actual survival.
“Some people are brave enough to dream and lead others to places we wouldn’t go on our own,” Hanks wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post about Lovell. Jim Lovell was the type of man who did that.
He continued by saying he didn’t do all those journeys to become wealthy or well-known; rather, he did them because life is kept fascinating by difficulties of that nature. On this full moon night, he d!es and ascends to the stars, the cosmos, and the sky. Godspeed on your next journey, Jim Lovell.
Ron Howard also thought of the astronaut and wrote, “It has been a great honor to know Jim.” He was one of the most amazing people I’ve ever encountered because he was smart, brave, and dedicated to his job.
His support for our movie-making endeavors made us more real and improved our approach in so many ways. Thank you, sir, for your devotion to both our country and all of humanity.
He was joined by Tom Hanks, left.
The 1995 movie “Apollo 13” starred Hanks as Lovell.
Credit: AP
Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1928 and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to the Independent, he was interested in flying from a young age.
He became a military aviator and test pilot after graduating from the U.S. military Academy in 1952. In 1962, NASA selected Lovell as one of the renowned “New Nine” astronauts. He went on to complete four space missions, including Apollo 8, Apollo 13, Gemini 7, and Gemini 12, logging a then-record 715 hours in orbit.
There were many important events in his NASA career. Gemini 7 set a record for the longest manned mission, which lasted over 14 days. Gemini 12 improved spacewalk methods that were very important for Apollo.
Apollo 8, with Lovell as Command Module Pilot, was the first mission to go around the Moon.In the space race, this was a significant turning point.
Despite never having set foot on the Moon, Lovell said the Apollo 13 mission provided him a great sense of fulfillment. In 1995, when he presented Lovell with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, President Bill Clinton made light of this fact.
He said, “Going to the moon is like following a recipe if everything goes right.” That’s what makes the men different from the boys when things go wrong.
In 1973, Lovell left the Navy and NASA to write Lost Moon with Jeffrey Kluger. Apollo 13 was inspired by this novel.
Credit: BW
He received numerous honors during his prosperous business career, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970 and his 1993 induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
His high school sweetheart, Marilyn, was Lovell’s wife for 71 years until her de@th in 2023. Jeffrey, Susan, Barbara, and James “Jay” were their four children.
People from all throughout the country sent in tributes. Mike Massimino, a former astronaut, named him his “hero.” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called him “a true American hero” whose bravery reminded us of how important it is to work together and have optimism when things get tough.
Lovell once said, “I could have been gone back in 1970,” to sum up how he felt about life following Apollo 13. I’m still around. I’m still alive.