Apollo 13 mission commander and astronaut Jim Lovell has died at the age of 97.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved father, USN Captain James A. ‘Jim’ Lovell, a Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader, and space explorer,” his family said in a statement Friday, according to Fox News.
Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight,” the family statement continued. “But, to all of us, he was Dad, Granddad, and the Leader of our family. Most importantly, he was our Hero. We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible. He was truly one of a kind.” The family concluded by asking for “privacy during this difficult time.”
Lovell was part of the three-man Apollo 13 crew in 1970 that safely returned to Earth after a critical oxygen tank exploded mid-mission. Apollo 13 had been intended to be the third crewed mission to the Moon. Lovell was portrayed by Tom Hanks in Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13.
“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades,” acting NASA Director Sean Duffy said in a statement Friday. “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. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”
Duffy noted that Lovell “helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.”
“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. 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.”
He added, “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.”
