Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the Apollo 13 mission, has died at the age of 97. The near-disastrous mission, in which an oxygen tank exploded and crippled the spacecraft, is a textbook example of ingenuity under pressure. Lovell, along with his crewmates Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, improvised a solution alongside NASA personnel on the ground to swing around the moon and successfully return to Earth, all while dealing with plummeting temperatures and dwindling oxygen.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight,” said the Lovell family in a statement released by NASA. “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.“
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy added: “NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades. 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.“
Before the Apollo 13 mission, Lovell was the command module pilot of Apollo 8. Together with Frank Borman and William Anders, he became one of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon. Anders took the famous Earthrise photo during this mission.
Although Apollo 13 wasn’t able to land on the moon, Lovell considered it a success. “Not that we accomplished anything, but a success in that we demonstrated the capability of [NASA] personnel,” he said in ’94. It also shaped how he dealt with any problem moving forward, because if you can survive in a crippled spacecraft hundreds of thousands of kilometres from Earth, you can survive anything. “I don’t worry about crises any longer,” he said in 1999. “I say, ‘I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here. I’m still breathing.’ So, I don’t worry about crises.“
Tom Hanks memorably played Lovell in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13. In the film, Lovell says, “Houston, we have a problem,” but in reality, it was actually Swigert who said, “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here,” followed by Lovell echoing the statement. “Houston, we’ve had a problem. We’ve had a Main B Bus undervolt.”
What a life and legacy. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Lovell’s family and loved ones.
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