USA Apollo 13 Astronaut Jim Lovell Dies at 97 After Stellar Life

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of NASA via CNN

 

Legendary astronaut Jim Lovell, credited with the famed Apollo 13 mission, has died at 97. NASA confirmed Lovell's passing on August 7 in Lake Forest, Illinois, though the cause remains unknown.

 

Lovell's family announced their sorrow, calling him a "Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader, and explorer", while cherishing his familial role. They hailed his pioneering spirit and unwavering optimism, acknowledging him as a true hero who inspired those around him.

 

Before commanding the challenging Apollo 13 mission in 1970, Lovell had already made history with Gemini 7, Gemini 12, and Apollo 8. On Apollo 13, alongside John Swigert Jr. and Fred Haise Jr., he catapulted to fame when an oxygen tank exploded about 321,869 kilometres from Earth.

 

The mission's pivotal moment was marked by Lovell's famous phrase, "Houston, we've had a problem." With ingenuity, the crew navigated a perilous return to Earth, making a dramatic splashdown in the South Pacific after a three-day ordeal, earning the title of NASA's “successful failure”.

 

The mission was immortalised in the 1995 film “Apollo 13,” bringing Lovell's leadership to the big screen. On Friday, NASA praised his calm under pressure, stating his quick thinking paved the way for future missions.

 

As the first to make four spaceflights, Lovell spent over 715 hours in space. In his second lunar flyby on Apollo 8, he uniquely saw the moon up close twice, experiencing the vastness of space.

 

Reflecting on Apollo 8's journey in a 2018 CNN interview, Lovell shared the profound experience of seeing Earth as a tiny speck, hidden by his thumb, and contemplating life and humanity’s place in the cosmos.

 

Lovell’s legacy remains, not just in NASA's history, but in the hearts of those who admired his courage and vision.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-08-09

 

[Chomper Higgot]

RIP 

 

A real hero to millions.

 

Oh and please ‘Death’ not ‘Passing’.

[Tug]

What a man what a hero what an example to try to emulate he had a superb run a long life well lived kudos sir well done!!

[Harrisfan]

Cause was old age