James A. “Jim” Lovell Jr., the NASA astronaut who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970, died on August 7 in Lake Forest, Illinois, at the age of 97.
A former U.S. Navy captain and decorated pilot, Lovell was celebrated for his leadership during the mission that famously averted disaster after an oxygen tank explosion forced the crew to abandon a planned Moon landing.
His family described him as a “beloved father, Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader, and space explorer,” and requested privacy following his passing.
Tom Hanks later immortalised Lovell in the movie “Apollo 13.”