Legendary Apollo 13 Astronaut James Lovell Passes Away at 97
James A. Lovell Jr., the famed astronaut who heroically led the Apollo 13 mission and survived a near-disastrous explosion in space in 1970, has passed away at the age of 97. His passing was confirmed by his family in a statement. Lovell resided in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Unmatched Spaceflight Record
Lovell, a former Navy test pilot, holds an impressive record of spending approximately 715 hours in space – the most in the early days of space exploration. His spaceflight career spanned the pivotal Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. These missions were a crucial part of the United States' race against the Soviet Union to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.
He participated in two Earth-orbiting Gemini missions and was also part of the three-man crew on Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the moon. Despite his numerous achievements, Lovell never got to fulfill his dream of walking on the moon.
Pop Culture Icon
Lovell's story reached beyond the realms of science and into popular culture when he was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1995 movie "Apollo 13." The film drew from Lovell's book "Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13," further cementing his place in pop culture.
The line "Houston, we have a problem," delivered by Hanks in the film, became an iconic phrase in the American lexicon. However, the actual phrase relayed by the astronauts during the real-life Apollo 13 mission was, "Houston, we've had a problem."
The Perilous Apollo 13 Mission
The Apollo 13 mission in 1970 had the world on edge. The mission faced a crisis when an explosion occurred nearly 56 hours into the flight and about 200,000 miles from Earth. Lovell, along with his crew members, worked with ground control to devise a plan that would safely bring them home.
Lovell later revealed that initially, they believed a meteor strike had caused the explosion. When they realized it wasn't a meteor, they quickly started working on a solution to get back home.
The Crucial Error
Unknown to the crew, the cause of the explosion was a damaged wire in one of the oxygen tanks in the spacecraft's service module. When a routine task was performed, this led to a spark which ignited the wire's insulation, causing the tank to rupture and empty its contents into space, leaving the other oxygen tank damaged and slowly leaking.
The Journey Home
The crew had to conserve energy by turning off the module's lights and heaters. They also had to endure freezing temperatures and chew on hot dog packages for hydration. They even used duct tape and a wool sock to create an air-filtering contraption.
Despite the challenging circumstances, they managed to get the spacecraft on course for Earth. As they approached Earth, they moved into the command module, which had the necessary heat shield for descent. Despite running on low power and reserve oxygen, they successfully made a splashdown in the Pacific.
Boosting National Morale
The safe return of the Apollo 13 astronauts brought much-needed positivity to a nation dealing with domestic issues and ongoing war casualties. The mission also reinvigorated interest in the space program. The astronauts were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and embarked on a goodwill trip abroad.
Early Life and Career
Born in Cleveland in 1928, Lovell was intrigued by space travel from an early age. After attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then the Naval Academy, he became a Navy test pilot and was later selected as a NASA astronaut in 1962.
Lovell's first space mission was aboard Gemini 7 in 1965. He also served as the command module pilot on Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the moon, in 1968. Despite the challenges he faced, Lovell's courage and determination remain an inspiration to many.