Jim Lovell, the naval aviator and mechanical engineer who is most famous for commanding the space mission Apollo 13 safely back to Earth after mechanical issues led to an aborted moon landing in 1970, died Thursday in Lake Forrest Illinois. He was 97 years old.
NASA Administrator Sean Duffy shared the news of Lovell’s death on Friday in a special tribute.
“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades,” Duffy wrote on NASA’s official website. “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.”
Lovell also co-authored the 1994 nonfiction account of the Apollo 13 space launch, “Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13.” That book with Jeffrey Kluger served as the source material for Ron Howard’s Oscar-winning “Apollo 13” in 1995, starring Tom Hanks as Lovell.
Duffy’s tribute went on to celebrate Lovell’s slew of accolades, including his history-making missions like the Apollo 13 assignment that nearly cost him and his crew members Fred Haise and Jack Swigert their lives. The mission’s film adaptation co-starred Bill Paxton as Haise and Kevin Bacon as Swigert. Lovell made an appearance in the film.
“From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond,” the message continued, adding that Lovell was known for his “wit” and funny comebacks.
“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 wrote. “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.”
Lovell was born on March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy in 1952. Before his Apollo missions, Lovell flew to space on two Gemini tasks, Gemini 7 and Gemini 12. He later became the first person to fly into space four times with his Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 missions.
His decorated career earned him the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Duffy closed out his message saying that Lovell will always be remembered for embodying “the bold resolve and optimism of both past and future explorers, and we will remember him always.”
