Jim Lovell, the legendary NASA astronaut and commander of the historic Apollo 13 mission, has died at the age of 97, according to an announcement by the U.S. space agency.
“We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran,” NASA said in a statement. “Lovell’s life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond, a journey that continues today.”
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy confirmed that Lovell passed away on Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois.
In a heartfelt statement shared by NASA, Lovell’s family expressed their pride and admiration for his life and achievements. “We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight. 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.”
Born on March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio, Lovell attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison before graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1962, marking the start of an illustrious career in space exploration.
Jim Lovell first served as backup pilot for Gemini 4 in 1965 before flying as pilot on Gemini 7 later that year. The Gemini 7 mission achieved a historic milestone, the first rendezvous of two manned maneuverable spacecraft in orbit. He went on to command Gemini 12 in 1966, alongside pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, bringing the Gemini program to a successful close.
In December 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, Lovell, along with Frank Borman and William Anders, became one of the first three humans to fly to and orbit the Moon, completing ten lunar orbits before returning to Earth.
Jim Lovell was later named backup commander for Apollo 11, the mission that saw Neil Armstrong make the first human steps on the Moon in 1969.
His most famous mission came in April 1970 as commander of Apollo 13, a journey intended to last ten days. Just two days after launch, disaster struck when an oxygen tank in the service module exploded. Lovell and his crewmates, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, working closely with Houston ground controllers, transformed the lunar module into a lifeboat. Through careful conservation of power and water, they survived the perilous journey around the Moon before safely returning to Earth on April 17, 1970.
The mission’s dramatic events were later immortalized in Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13, with actor Tom Hanks portraying Lovell.
NASA/JSC
Jim Lovell retired from the Navy and the space program in March 1973 after four spaceflights, holding the world record for the most time spent in space-715 hours, 4 minutes, and 57 seconds until the mid-1970s. He went on to work in the telecommunications industry, retiring in 1991 as executive vice president of Centel Corporation.
Over the course of his career, Lovell received numerous honors, including the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He was married to his wife, Marilyn, for more than 60 years until her death in 2023. Lovell is survived by his four children, who remember him not only as a pioneering astronaut but as the heart of their family.
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