NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, recognized for leading the Apollo 13 mission that aborted its lunar landing effort in 1970, has died at the age of 97, according to CNN.
Lovell passed away on August 7 in Lake Forest, Illinois, as stated by NASA.
He was the first astronaut to travel to space on four occasions and was part of Apollo 8, the inaugural crewed mission launched with the Saturn V rocket and the first to orbit the Moon, according to NBC News.
In addition to Apollo 8 and Apollo 13, Lovell was involved in the Gemini VII and Gemini XII missions.
In a statement released on Friday, Lovell’s family emphasized “his remarkable accomplishments in life and career” and “his legendary leadership in advancing human spaceflights.”
“To all of us, he was the Father, Grandfather, and Leader of our family. Above all, he was Our Hero,” the family expressed in their statement. “We will miss his steadfast optimism, sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel capable of achieving the impossible. He was truly one-of-a-kind,” they continued.
Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Sean Duffy offered condolences on behalf of the agency.
“NASA grieves the loss of Captain Jim Lovell, whose life and contributions inspired millions over the years. Jim’s steadfast character and bravery helped our nation reach the Moon and transformed a potential disaster into a success from which we learned greatly. We mourn his departure, while also celebrating his accomplishments,” said Sean Duffy.
Jim Lovell led the Apollo 13 mission.
The Apollo 13 crew, comprised of Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, was heading to the Moon in April 1970 when an oxygen tank on the spacecraft exploded 200,000 miles from Earth, according to The Guardian.
With four-fifths of the journey completed, NASA aborted the mission, making the crew’s survival their only objective.
“It was the scariest moment,” Lovell recalled.
The strategy involved transferring the astronauts from the service module, which was losing oxygen, to the small, dark, and cold lunar module while managing to ration their limited oxygen, water, and electricity. Utilizing the lunar module as a lifeboat, they circled the Moon and hurried back to Earth, becoming national heroes.
The mission inspired a well-known 1995 film that propelled the fame of the three astronauts to new levels—in part due to the cinematic figure delivering the famed line, “Houston, we have a problem.” In actuality, Lovell had stated, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”
In a 1995 interview with the Associated Press, Lovell admitted that missing the opportunity to walk on the Moon was his sole regret.
