Jim Lovell

James Arthur Lovell Jr.

James Arthur Lovell Jr. (March 25, 1928 – August 7, 2025) was an American NASA astronaut and naval aviator best known as the commander of Apollo 13. He also flew on Gemini 7, Gemini 12 and Apollo 8, becoming one of the first humans to orbit the Moon and the first person to travel to the Moon twice. He died in Lake Forest, Illinois, at age 97.

Early life and education

Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1928 and later became a naval aviator, test pilot and engineer before joining NASA.

NASA career

NASA selected Lovell in 1962 as part of its second astronaut group, known as “The New Nine.” His first spaceflight was Gemini 7, followed by Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. He logged about 715 hours in space, a world record until 1973.

Apollo 8 and Apollo 13

Lovell helped crew Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the Moon, and later commanded Apollo 13, whose oxygen-tank failure forced an abort and emergency return. He was the first person to travel to the Moon twice, though he never landed on the Moon’s surface.

Later life and legacy

Lovell retired from the space program in 1973. He later co-authored accounts of Apollo 13 and remained widely recognized as one of NASA’s most prominent early astronauts. Lovell’s Apollo 13 mission was a major global space event closely followed in Canada, and his story is widely taught as part of the history of human space exploration.