James Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13 Mission, Dies at 97
James Lovell, the NASA astronaut who commanded the perilous Apollo 13 mission, has died at the age of 97. Lovell famously turned a near-catastrophe into a historic success of human ingenuity after an oxygen tank explosion crippled his spacecraft on its way to the moon in 1970. His crew's safe return, guided by mission control, became one of NASA's most celebrated moments. A veteran of four spaceflights, including the first-ever mission to orbit the moon (Apollo 8), Lovell was a pivotal figure in space exploration.
Unpacked:
Lovell, as mission commander, worked closely with his crew and Houston mission control to convert the lunar module into a lifeboat after an oxygen tank explosion, conserving power and water and guiding the safe return to Earth.
No, although Lovell flew two Apollo missions intended for lunar landings, he never walked on the moon. Apollo 13’s landing was aborted due to the spacecraft explosion, and Apollo 8 only orbited the moon without landing.
Lovell flew a total of four missions: Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13. Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to orbit the moon, and both Gemini missions focused on space rendezvous and docking.
Lovell received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970, among numerous other awards recognizing his contributions to space exploration and public service.