August 9, 2025
James A. Lovell Jr., the legendary astronaut who steered NASA’s ill-fated Apollo 13 mission safely back to Earth, died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was 97.
Lovell’s death was confirmed by NASA, which praised his “character and steadfast courage” in a statement Friday. “Jim helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” said Acting Administrator Sean Duffy.
A Career Forged in the Stars
Lovell flew four space missions—Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13—logging over 715 hours in space. He was the first person to journey to the Moon twice, though he never walked its surface. His Apollo 8 crew was the first to orbit the Moon and witness the iconic “Earthrise,” a moment credited with inspiring the environmental movement.
Apollo 13, launched in April 1970, was meant to be NASA’s third lunar landing. Instead, it became a harrowing survival story after an oxygen tank exploded en route. Lovell’s calm leadership helped guide his crew through four frigid days in the lunar module, ultimately returning them safely to Earth. His understated radio transmission— *“Houston, we’ve had a problem”—became immortalized in the 1995 film Apollo 13, where he was portrayed by Tom Hanks.
From Naval Officer to National Hero
Born in Cleveland in 1928, Lovell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Gerlach, the same day. They remained together for 71 years until her passing in 2023.
Lovell was selected as an astronaut in 1962, joining NASA’s “Next Nine” alongside Neil Armstrong and John Young. He later co-authored Lost Moon, the book that inspired Apollo 13, and ran a restaurant in Illinois bearing his name.
A Legacy That Transcends Space
Lovell’s contributions earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Yet he often downplayed heroism, crediting NASA’s ingenuity and teamwork. “In some sense, it was very much of a success,” he said of Apollo 13. “Not that we accomplished the mission, but that we proved the capability of the people at NASA”.
He is survived by four children, eleven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
As the world looks to the stars, Lovell’s legacy remains a guiding light—proof that courage, humility, and ingenuity can turn crisis into triumph.
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But his most famous mission was also his most perilous. In 1970, he commanded Apollo 13, the third planned lunar landing. But an explosion in the service module crippled the spacecraft and endangered the lives of Lovell and his crew.
- The now-famous line “Houston, we have a problem” was popularized by the 1995 film Apollo 13, where it was slightly altered for dramatic effect and attributed to Lovell, played by Tom Hanks. The screenwriters felt the past tense (“we’ve had”) lacked immediacy for a suspenseful moment
“Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” — Jack Swigert
“Ah, Houston, we’ve had a problem.” — Jim Lovell