Captain James “Jim” Lovell, Jr., the celebrated naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut who commanded the harrowing Apollo 13 mission, has died at the age of 97. His family announced he passed away peacefully at his home.
Lovell’s career in the sky began long before he joined NASA. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952, he became a naval aviator, flying various jets from carriers. He later transitioned to a role as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, where he pushed the boundaries of high-performance aircraft like the F4H Phantom.
Selected as one of the “New Nine” in NASA’s second group of astronauts in 1962, Lovell became one of the most experienced spacefarers of his era. He was the first person to make four journeys into space.
His missions included the 14-day endurance flight of Gemini 7, commanding Gemini 12, and serving as the command module pilot on the historic Apollo 8, the first mission to carry humans around the Moon.
READ MORE: 10 Must-Read Books About Space Exploration
He is most remembered for commanding Apollo 13 in April 1970. When an oxygen tank explosion crippled the spacecraft nearly 200,000 miles from home, Lovell’s steady leadership was crucial in navigating the crew safely back to Earth. The incident was portrayed in the 1995 film Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks.
After retiring from the Navy and NASA in 1973, Lovell embarked on a successful business career. He was a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His autobiography, Lost Moon, co-authored with Jeffrey Kluger, was the basis for the movie.
