Legendary astronaut behind ‘NASA’s finest hour’ dies at 97
Jim Lovell, one of the first astronauts to orbit the moon and leader of the famed Apollo 13 mission, has died at 97.
Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy confirmed the news of Lovell's passing in a statement.
"NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades," the statement reads. "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."
Lovell served as the command module pilot for Apollo 8. During the mission, he and fellow astronauts Frank Borman and William Anders became the first three people to successfully fly to and orbit the moon, paving the way for Apollo 11's infamous moon landing.
The astronaut is probably most well known for leading the nearly disastrous Apollo 13 mission, widely regarded as "NASA's finest hour."
In the 1995 Hollywood movie "Apollo 13," Lovell was played by actor Tom Hanks.
Lovell was the mission commander for what was meant to be NASA's third moon landing . The explosion of one of the craft's oxygen tanks almost left the crew stranded in space, but the quick thinking of the astronauts on board and NASA ground control to slingshot the ship around the moon allowed Lovell and his crew mates to safely return to Earth.
"From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond," NASA's statement reads.
More News
Read the original article on MassLive .
