Legendary Apollo 13 Commander Dies At 97

Legendary NASA astronaut James Lovell passed away Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, at the age of 97, the agency announced in a press release Friday.

Lovall attained nationwide recognition when he commanded the Apollo 13 mission, which was marked by disaster when the crew’s rocket suffered an explosion while en route to the Moon in April, 1970. The mission was NASA’s third attempted lunar landing, carrying astronauts Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, in addition to Lovall.

On April 13, about 56 hours into the mission, an oxygen tank in the service module exploded due to a faulty electrical system igniting the tank’s insulation during a routine stir. The explosion damaged the second oxygen tank, crippled the command module (Odyssey), and caused a loss of oxygen, power, and water supply critical for the crew’s survival.

The loss of oxygen and power in Odyssey forced the crew to rely on the lunar module (Aquarius) as a “lifeboat,” which was designed for two people for 45 hours but had to support three for nearly four days. Lovell’s team also faced significant difficulties with generating the necessary power to return home.

At NASA’s ground headquarters, crews worked around the clock to devise solutions, including power conservation, manual navigation, and fixing the module’s C02 scrubbers. The crew ultimately looped around the moon and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970, after 142 hours and 54 minutes in space.

The crisis captured the attention of the nation, as millions of Americans closely followed updates through television and radio in one of the world’s first round-the-clock news events. Lovell’s famous phrase, “Houston, we have a problem,” has maintained cultural prominence to this day.

The Apollo 13 crew safely emerges after being rescued

Jim Lovell’s official NASA portrait in 1969

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who also serves as interim NASA administrator addressed Lovell’s passing in a statement released Friday.

“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades,” Duffy said. “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.”

The interim NASA administrator went on to praise Lovell and his crew-mates for the bravery they displayed during the Apollo 13 crisis.

“As the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, Jim and his crewmates became the first to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon, proving that the lunar landing was within our reach,” Duffy said. “As commander of the Apollo 13 mission, his calm strength under pressure helped return the crew safely to Earth and demonstrated the quick thinking and innovation that informed future NASA missions.”

The Apollo 13 story was further immortalized in Ron Howard’s 1995 film, in which Tom Hanks starred as Lovell. The famed astronaut was heavily involved in production and is credited as one of the film’s writers.