The legendary astronaut who commanded NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, James A. ‘Jim’ Lovell, has died at the age of 97 in Lake Forest, a northern Chicago suburb.

Lovell’s storied career in space spanned three missions in the 1960s which are the Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 then Apollo 13 in 1970, making him the first astronaut to fly in space four times. A former Navy captain, pilot, and test aviator, Lovell became a symbol of courage, resourcefulness, and optimism during one of NASA’s most challenging hours.

"We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved father, USN Captain James A. 'Jim' Lovell, a Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader and space explorer," his family said in a statement Friday.

"We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight. But, to all of us, he was Dad, Granddad, and the Leader of our family," the statement read.

"Most importantly, he was our Hero. We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible. He was truly one of a kind."

NASA praised Lovell’s contributions to space exploration, noting how his calm leadership during Apollo 13 transformed a potential catastrophe into a mission that taught invaluable lessons.

“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success,” the agency said. "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."

Apollo 13: The mission that almost ended in tragedy

On 11 April 1970, Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise launched on Apollo 13, aiming to become the third crew to walk on the moon. But just 56 hours into the flight, nearly 200,000 miles from Earth. Disaster struck when one of the spacecraft’s oxygen tanks exploded.

Swigert’s now-famous words, “Houston, we’ve had a problem here,” marked the start of a tense struggle for survival. The crew moved into the Lunar Module, designed for only two people, and endured shortages of power, water, and breathable air in freezing conditions. Abandoning the moon landing, they used the moon’s gravity to slingshot back to Earth, splashing down safely on 17 April.

"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," Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said. "We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements."

Lovell’s role in the mission was immortalized by Tom Hanks in the 1995 film Apollo 13.

Other historic missions

Two years before Apollo 13, Lovell served as Command Module Pilot on Apollo 8, the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the moon. Alongside Frank Borman and Bill Anders, he lifted off on the first Saturn V rocket and proved a lunar landing was within reach.

On Christmas Eve 1968, the crew famously read from the Book of Genesis during a live broadcast to millions back on Earth, "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Lovell also flew on Gemini 7 in 1965 with Borman, completing a 14-day endurance mission that rendezvoused with Gemini 6A. A year later, he paired with Buzz Aldrin on Gemini 12, the final Gemini flight, which tested spacewalk techniques later used on the moon.

By the end of his NASA career, Lovell had logged 715 hours in space, a record at the time.

"Known for his wit, this unforgettable astronaut was nicknamed Smilin' Jim by his fellow astronauts because he was quick with a grin when he had a particularly funny comeback," NASA said.

Life after NASA

Lovell retired from the Navy and NASA in 1973, later holding executive positions at Bay-Houston Towing, Fisk Telephone Systems, and Centel Corp.

Born on 25 March 1928, in Cleveland, Lovell attended the University of Wisconsin before entering the U.S. Naval Academy in 1948. During his service, he flew more than 7,000 hours including more than 3,500 in jets and served aboard aircraft carriers. Selected in NASA’s “Next Nine” astronaut group in 1962, Lovell became one of America’s most respected spacefarers.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970, inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993, and enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1998.

Lovell’s wife, Marilyn, whom he married in 1952, died in 2023. They had four children.