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11m ago

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Commander, Dies at 97

NASA credits his calm leadership with turning a midflight explosion into a ‘successful failure’ that shaped lunar exploration

Jim Lovell poses for his formal Apollo 13 portrait four months before the April 1970 mission. The mission’s destination target — the lunar crater Fra Mauro — sits near the center of the Moon globe. Credit: NASA
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Overview

  • NASA confirmed Lovell died on August 7 at his home in Lake Forest, Illinois, praising his steadfast courage and character.
  • He flew Gemini 7 and Gemini 12 before serving as command module pilot on Apollo 8, logging more than 715 hours in space.
  • Apollo 8 became the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon, giving the United States a decisive edge in the space race.
  • In April 1970, he steered Apollo 13 through an oxygen tank explosion, guiding his crew home in a improvised lunar module lifeboat.
  • Lovell’s legacy endures through honors like the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Tom Hanks’s portrayal of him in the film Apollo 13.