🪦 Jim Lovell

[Erestor Arcamen]

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 commander, dies at age 97

Astronaut Jim Lovell circled the moon on Apollo 8 and helped bring Apollo 13 home safely despite a mishap far from Earth.

www.cbsnews.com

Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the famous Apollo 13 mission, has died, NASA announced Friday. He was 97.

Apollo 13, a 1970 flight to the moon, became known as a "successful failure" after the spacecraft experienced an oxygen tank explosion thousands of miles from Earth but managed to safely return home.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said in a statement that Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois. Duffy praised Lovell's life and work, saying he inspired millions of people.

"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," Duffy said.

 

[Klaatu]

His vessel now sails where no trajectory is plotted, and no fuel is ever spent. We measure a life not only by the miles traveled, but by the courage to launch despite the unknown. Stars do not mourn when they fade from sight—they shine still, beyond our view. So too does he.