James Lovell, the Apollo 13 commander who transformed a failed moon mission into an engineering triumph, has died aged 97.
He died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA said in a statement Friday.
“Jim's personality and unwavering courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turn a potential disaster into a success from which we learned important lessons,” NASA said.
“We mourn his passing while celebrating his accomplishments.”
Mr. Lovell, one of NASA's most frequently flown astronauts in its first decade, flew four missions into space – Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. Both Apollo missions captured the world's attention.
In 1968, the Apollo 8 crew, which included Mr. Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders, became the first to leave Earth orbit and the first to orbit the Moon.
Although they failed to land, it allowed the United States to leapfrog the Soviet Union in the space race. Letters of thanks poured in from citizens to the crew, saying that their stunning Pale Blue Dot photo of Earth from the Moon (the world's first) and their reading of Genesis on Christmas Eve helped America survive the turbulent year of 1968.
But the ultimate rescue was yet to come. It occurred during the difficult Apollo 13 mission in April 1970.
Mr Lovell was supposed to be the fifth man to walk on the moon. However, an oxygen tank in the Apollo 13 service module, where Mr Lovell and two other astronauts were, suddenly exploded en route to the moon.
The astronauts barely survived after spending four cold, wet days in the cramped lunar module as a lifeboat.
“I want most people to know that in some ways it was a great success,” Mr. Lovell said in an interview in 1994.
“It's not that we've accomplished anything, but the success is that we've demonstrated what (NASA) people can do.”
Mr. Lovell, a retired Navy captain known for his calm demeanor, told a NASA historian that his brush with death had indeed affected him.
“I don't worry about crises anymore,” he said in 1999. Every time I have a problem, “I say, 'I might as well not have been here in 1970. I'm still here. I'm still breathing.' So I don't worry about crises.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
