Overview

• Lovell passed away in Lake Forest, Illinois, on August 7 at age 97.
• He flew four missions with NASA, serving as Command Module Pilot on Apollo 8—the first crew to orbit the Moon—and commanding the Apollo 13 flight in 1970.
• Apollo 13’s oxygen tank explosion became a “successful failure” thanks to Lovell’s cool decision-making and crew coordination during the emergency.
• Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy highlighted Lovell’s “character and steadfast courage” in turning a crisis into a learning opportunity for future missions.
• NASA officials say the engineering lessons from Lovell’s missions will inform the agency’s upcoming Artemis lunar exploration program.