Astronaut Jim Lovell, who led the Apollo 13 moon mission, died Thursday in Illinois, his family said. He was 97.
Lovell also flew on three other missions: Gemini 7, Gemini 12, and Apollo 8 in the 1960s, becoming the first astronaut to fly such a significant number of missions in space.
He died in Lake Forest, north of Chicago.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of our dear father, U.S. Navy Captain James A. 'Jim' Lovell, a Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader and space explorer,” his family said in a statement Friday.
“We are immensely proud of his extraordinary life and career achievements, especially his legendary leadership in space exploration. But to us, he was always dad, grandfather, and the head of our family,” they added.
“Most importantly, he was our Hero. We will miss his unwavering optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he inspired us to believe in the impossible. He was truly a unique individual.”
The statement reads: “NASA extends its condolences to the family of Captain Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people over the years. Jim's character and unwavering courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turn a potential disaster into a successful, learning experience. We mourn his loss while celebrating his accomplishments.”
“From a pair of groundbreaking Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim has helped our nation chart a historic path in space that will lead us to future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.”
In 1970, Lovell was part of a three-man crew that was supposed to be the third group to land on the moon. However, on April 13, about 56 hours after liftoff and 320,000 kilometers from Earth, an unexpected situation occurred.
In the 1995 film Apollo 13, Lovell is played by Tom Hanks, who dramatically portrays events that could have ended in tragedy.
Hanks posted a tribute on Instagram, writing, “There are people who dream, strive, and lead others to places we wouldn't dare go. Jim Lovell, who has traveled farther and longer in space than anyone else on this planet, was that person.”
In the film, Hanks utters the famous line: “Houston, we have a problem.”
In fact, it was command module pilot Jack Swigert who first said, “Okay, Houston, we've got a problem.”
Jack Lausma, the capsule's commander in Houston, asked Swigert to repeat himself.
Lovell replied, “Ah, Houston, we've got a problem.”
One of the two oxygen tanks in the service module exploded, causing a power outage in the command module where the astronauts were located. Oxygen supplies began to run low.
Lovell, Swigert, and Fred W. Haise moved into the lunar module, which was designed for only two people, and faced shortages of power, water, and breathable air in frigid conditions.
Instead of landing on the Moon, they orbited it and, using gravity, returned to Earth on April 17.
“Jim’s character and unwavering courage helped our nation reach the moon and turn a potential tragedy into a successful, learning experience,” said Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “We mourn his loss while celebrating his accomplishments.”
Two years ago, Lovell, Frank Borman and William “Bill” Anders became the first to orbit the Moon in Apollo 8.
“As the Apollo 8 Command Module Pilot, Jim and his crewmates became the first to fly a Saturn V rocket into lunar orbit, proving that a lunar landing was possible,” NASA said.
On Christmas Eve 1968, the astronauts read passages from the Book of Genesis . One of the passages Lovell read included the words: “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning
Sourse: www.upi.com
