James Lovell, the legendary NASA astronaut whose calm leadership during the Apollo 13 crisis turned near disaster into one of space exploration’s greatest survival stories, has died at the age of 97.
NASA confirmed that Lovell passed away on Thursday, August 7, in Lake Forest, Illinois.
“Lovell's life and work inspired millions,” the agency said in a statement. “His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond - a journey that continues today.”
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy added that Lovell’s “character and steadfast courage turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”
Lovell, a former Navy test pilot and one of NASA’s most accomplished astronauts, is best remembered for commanding the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in April 1970.
What was supposed to be the third Moon landing became a tense, four-day fight for survival after an oxygen tank exploded.
Lovell, alongside crewmates Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, worked closely with Mission Control to nurse the damaged spacecraft back to Earth. It was Lovell who radioed the now-famous line: “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”
The mission, which Lovell later called a “successful failure,” became a testament to ingenuity and teamwork.
It was immortalized in the 1995 Ron Howard film Apollo 13, with Tom Hanks portraying Lovell and Lovell himself making a cameo appearance. In the film’s real-life counterpart, the crew’s survival was hailed as one of NASA’s finest hours.
Hanks paid tribute to Lovell in a heartfelt Instagram post: “There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell was that kind of guy.”
He continued: “His many voyages were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive. On this night of a full moon, he passes on — to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. God speed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell.”
Ron Howard also remembered the astronaut, writing: “Simply knowing Jim has been a tremendous honor. His combination of intellect, courage and commitment to duty made him one of the most remarkable individuals I’ve ever met.
"His support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways. Thank you, sir, for your service to our country and to humankind.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1928 and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lovell’s fascination with flight began early, per the Independent.
After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952, he became a naval aviator and test pilot. Selected by NASA in 1962 as part of the storied “New Nine” group of astronauts, Lovell went on to fly four space missions — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13 — spending a then-record 715 hours in space.
His NASA career was filled with historic milestones. Gemini 7 set a record for the longest manned spaceflight at nearly 14 days, and Gemini 12 perfected spacewalk techniques critical for Apollo.
Apollo 8, with Lovell as Command Module Pilot, became the first mission to orbit the Moon, a defining achievement in the space race.
Although he never walked on the Moon — something President Bill Clinton wryly noted in 1995 when awarding him the Congressional Space Medal of Honor — Lovell said the Apollo 13 ordeal brought him “a deep sense of satisfaction.”
In his words: “Going to the moon, if everything works right, it’s like following a cookbook… If something goes wrong, that’s what separates the men from the boys.”
After retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1973, Lovell co-authored Lost Moon with Jeffrey Kluger, the book that inspired Apollo 13.
He pursued a successful business career and received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970 and induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993.
Lovell was married to his high school sweetheart, Marilyn, for 71 years until her death in 2023. They had four children: Barbara, James “Jay,” Susan, and Jeffrey.
Tributes poured in from across the country. Former astronaut Mike Massimino called him his “hero,” and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine praised him as “a true American hero” whose bravery “reminded us of the importance of teamwork and hope in the face of adversity.”
Lovell once summed up his perspective on life after Apollo 13 by saying: “I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here. I’m still breathing.”