According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), US astronaut Jim Lovell, who was the commander of the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon that almost ended in disaster in 1970 due to a mid-flight explosion, passed away at the age of 97.
Lovell, who was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1995 film Apollo 13, was regarded as one of the greats of the US lunar space program even though he never set foot on the moon.
NASA released a statement saying, “NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades.” The space agency also noted that the astronaut passed away on Thursday in a suburb of Chicago.
Apollo 13 was designed to be humanity’s third lunar landing and was launched on April 11, 1970, nine months after Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon.
On the way there, though, an oxygen tank exploded. Jack Swigert, Lovell’s crewmate, famously informed mission control, “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” in response to the catastrophe.
Then, according to NASA, Lovell said it again. Fearing the loss of its first astronauts in space, the United States followed along on the ground during the ensuing chaotic space odyssey.
However, Lovell received a lot of recognition for his leadership in getting his crew back to Earth safely. His fellow astronauts called him “Smilin’ Jim.”
“Our nation reached the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” according to NASA, citing Lovell’s “character and steadfast courage.”
According to NASA, Lovell was also one of three astronauts who, during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, became the first humans to orbit the Moon, opening the door for a lunar landing.
