Apollo 13 moon mission commander Jim Lovell dies at 97

Space veteran* and heroic Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell has died at the age of 97.

The American legend passed away peacefully on August 7, in Lake Forest, Illinois*, with NASA leading tributes for the “unforgettable astronaut”, The Sun reported.

The proud Cleveland native was one of NASA’s most travelled astronauts, as he went to space a remarkable four times.

He was on board Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.

It was Captain Lovell who uttered the immortal* words, “Houston, we have a problem” during the Apollo 13 mission. The expression entered popular culture and is still used informally to describe a sudden crisis.

Capt Lovell was hailed a hero after he managed to prevent a tragedy when disaster struck the three-man space crew during Apollo 13’s journey.

In April 1970, the spacecraft’s service module* experienced a sudden oxygen tank explosion on its way to the moon.

Capt Lovell and fellow astronauts Jack Swigert and Fred Haise were plunged into darkness after the blast as the world watched on in dismay.

The astronauts survived despite spending four cold days stranded 200,000 miles (over 320,000km) from Earth.

In a nailbiting string of events, the astronauts’ only option was to cram into a lunar lander* to attempt the gruelling* journey back to Earth, guided by mission controllers.

Captain Lovell was just 42 years old at the time and the world’s most-travelled astronaut.

The journey was supposed to see Capt Lovell become the fifth man to walk on the moon but sadly he never set foot on the lunar surface.

Twenty five years after the successful return to Earth, a Hollywood film recreated the Apollo 13 mission.

Superstar Tom Hanks portrayed Commander Lovell, with Bill Paxton, Ed Harris and Kevin Bacon also starring in the hit movie.

The real Jim Lovell was already in the history books for his role in the Apollo 8 mission, which took place two years prior to Apollo 13. The crew was the first to leave Earth’s orbit, successfully complete a series of lunar orbits and safely return home.

Capt Lovell served as Command Module pilot and navigator* on the epic six-day journey in 1968, which marked man’s maiden* voyage to the far side of the moon.

Capt Lovell, Frank Borman and William A. Anders began their ninth revolution of the moon with a TV broadcast that ended with them wishing everyone back on Earth a Merry Christmas. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the mission back in 2018, NASA estimated that one billion people in 64 countries around the world were tuned in to that Christmas Eve broadcast.

Captain Lovell’s death was announced by NASA last Friday.

“We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran,” the space agency’s announcement read.

“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.”

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy also paid tribute to Capt Lovell.

“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades,” Mr Duffy said.

“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.

“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.”

He logged more than 7,000 hours flying time – including more than 3500 hours in jet aircraft during his time in the navy.

The tribute concluded: “Jim Lovell embodied* the bold resolve and optimism of both past and future explorers, and we will remember him always.”

Captain Lovell retired from the US navy and the space program in 1973 and later worked in marketing and communications.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission.

POLL

GLOSSARY

veteran: someone with a lot of experience of a particular activity

Illinois: a Midwest state in the US known as the Prairie State, its capital is Springfield

immortal: living or lasting forever

service module: space vehicle module containing oxygen, water, fuel cells, propellant tanks, and the main rocket engine

lunar lander: a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of a planet or moon

gruelling: extremely tiring and hard, very challenging

pioneering: being the first to do or achieve something or go somewhere, using ideas and methods that have never been used before

maiden: first time something has happened

steadfast: firm in loyalty, belief and purpose

Artemis: with these series of missions, NASA aims to establish a permanent base on the moon to test living and working in space in preparation for missions to Mars. The Artemis campaign named for the Greek goddess of the hunt, twin sister of the god Apollo, for whom the previous manned lunar spaceflight program was named

embodied: someone representing a quality or idea, personifying

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QUICK QUIZ

How many times did Capt Lovell go into space?

What famous phrase did Capt Lovell utter after disaster struck Apollo 13?

NASA estimates how many people from how many countries watched the Apollo 8 crew’s 1968 Christmas Eve broadcast from lunar orbit?

Which Hollywood actor starred as mission commander Capt Lovell in the 1995 film Apollo 13?

How many hours of flight time did this spaceflight legend log?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. Astronaut Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell certainly lived an amazing life and will be remembered throughout history. Answer the following questions as you reflect on Captain Lovell’s life.

What inspires you about his life?

How did his work change what we know about space?

What can we learn from his determination and bravery?

What do you think Capt Lovell would like to be remembered for?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity

Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension

Mission insignia – often embroidered patches – represent spaceflights and are designed for each crewed mission. They symbolise the mission, crew, and their objectives, incorporating elements like the spacecraft, mission number, and crew names. These patches have become an iconic part of space exploration, with each design telling a unique story about the mission it represents, according to the National Space Centre.

Work with a partner to create an original mission emblem symbolising Jim Lovell’s lifework.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity

Curriculum Links: English, Science, Visual Arts, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY

Imaginative dialogue

Imagine you were with Captain Lovell aboard Apollo 13.

Create a conversation between two astronauts from that fateful mission - you may need or want to include yourself as one of them. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.