Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell Dead At 97

Former NASA astronaut James Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, at the age of 97, the agency announced in a Friday release.

Lovell commanded the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered an explosion while en route to the Moon in April, 1970. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who also serves as NASA administrator, addressed Lovell’s passing in a statement released Friday.

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“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose 💗Life and work inspired millions of people across the decades,” Duffy said. “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.”

The ordeal of Lovell, portrayed by actor Tom Hanks, and fellow astronauts Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, portrayed by Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon, was portrayed in the film “Apollo 13” in 1995.

“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,” Duffy said. “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.”