James Lovell, the NASA astronaut who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission and famously reported “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” has died at the age of 97. NASA confirmed his death on Friday, stating that he passed away on Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Lovell’s heroism during the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, when an oxygen tank explosion forced the crew to abandon plans for a Moon landing and work with Mission Control to return safely to Earth, earned him lasting fame. The story was later immortalised in the 1995 film Apollo 13, in which Tom Hanks portrayed Lovell, who also made a cameo appearance.
“Lovell's life and work inspired millions,” NASA said in a statement. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy added: “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.”
Before Apollo 13, Lovell flew on Gemini 7, Gemini 12, and Apollo 8—the first mission to orbit the Moon. After retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1973, he co-authored the book Lost Moon and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993.
Lovell once reflected on the failed mission, saying: “Going to the moon, if everything works right, it’s like following a cookbook. It’s not that big a deal. If something goes wrong, that’s what separates the men from the boys.”
