Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, has passed away at the age of 97.
Lovell commanded the doomed mission in April 1970. His crew’s cool courage under pressure, along with the intrepid work of NASA mission control in Houston, saved the lives of the three men whose lunar mission was cut short by an oxygen tank explosion in Apollo 13’s service module.
We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran.
Lovell’s life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues today. pic.twitter.com/jBlxzgrmSk
— NASA (@NASA) August 8, 2025
In April, I wrote in a column remembering the 55th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13:
“NASA was reminded again of waning interest in space exploration with a launch turnout of around 200,000 people,” Space.com recounts. “It was a crowd that paled in comparison to the 7 million who had come to see Apollo 11 liftoff almost a year earlier.”
All of that changed two days and a few hours later. Fifty-five hours into the mission, the crew of Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert did a television broadcast that most television stations didn’t carry because they thought the mission was too routine and uninteresting. Shortly after the broadcast, astronaut Jack Lousma, who was serving as capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for this phase of the mission, asked Swigert to stir the cryogenic oxygen tanks — and all hell broke loose.
Related: 55 Years Ago Today: The Launch of Apollo 13
In addition to commanding Apollo 13, Lovell went into space with Frank Borman on Gemini 7, the 330-hour spaceflight that included the first rendezvous of two manned spacecraft. He commanded Gemini 12, the final Gemini flight, with Buzz Aldrin.
Lovell served as command module pilot for Apollo 8. That flight made headlines when the crew went around the moon the week of Christmas and read from Genesis 1 on a television broadcast.
NASA selected Lovell as an astronaut in September 1962. In addition to the spaceflight time he logged, he was backup pilot for Gemini 4 and backup commander for Gemini 9. He was part of the backup crew for the historic Apollo 11 mission as well, serving as Neil Armstrong’s backup commander.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy released a statement:
NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades. 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. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.
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.
As the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, Jim and his crewmates became the first to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon, proving that the lunar landing was within our reach. As commander of the Apollo 13 mission, his calm strength under pressure helped return the crew safely to Earth and demonstrated the quick thinking and innovation that informed future NASA missions.
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.
Jim also served our country in the military, and the Navy has lost a proud academy graduate and test pilot. Jim Lovell embodied the bold resolve and optimism of both past and future explorers, and we will remember him always.
Lovell had a reputation for his quick wit and prankish sense of humor. He was a devoted husband and father of four and a man of faith. He held the record for time in space — 715 hours, 5 minutes — until the longer-duration Skylab missions of the ‘70s.
In April, I wrote about Lovell’s remembrance of the doomed Apollo 13 mission:
The astronauts and mission control reflected on the mission five years ago for the 50th anniversary. Lovell told People Magazine that the mission “was plagued by bad omens and bad luck from the very beginning.” Jokes about the designation Apollo 13 and the fact that part of the mission fell on April 13 abounded.
Lovell and his crewmate Fred Haise appreciated the 1995 film “Apollo 13” despite the liberties it took with the story. Haise remarked that what surprised them the most about the movie was the profanity. However, a 1974 television movie about the mission angered Lovell because it took too many liberties.
Side note: “Apollo 13” is my all-time favorite movie, even though I’m aware of the dramatic license. I still love it 30 years later.
I only have a few earthly heroes, but two of them are astronauts. The first one is Jim Irwin, who walked on the moon on Apollo 15 and was a friend of my grandfather. I met him when I was young; I don’t remember meeting him, but I have an autographed picture of him standing on the lunar surface. My other astronaut hero? Jim Lovell.
Fly high, Captain Lovell. Thank you for your service.
