Apollo 13 Astronaut Jim Lovell Dies at 97

🚀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