James A. “Jim” Lovell Jr., the esteemed Apollo 13 commander, passed away on August 7, 2025, at the age of 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois.

James A. “Jim” Lovell Jr., the esteemed Apollo 13 commander, passed away on August 7, 2025, at the age of 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Lovell’s legacy as a pioneering astronaut and Navy veteran is marked by his exemplary leadership during the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, which faced a life-threatening crisis when an oxygen tank exploded, jeopardizing the crew’s return to Earth. His calm and decisive actions, in collaboration with Mission Control, transformed a potential disaster into a testament to human ingenuity and resilience. Newsweek+6The Sun+6New York Post+6

Born on March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio, Lovell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and married his wife, Marilyn, on the same day. He served as a test pilot before being selected as a NASA astronaut in 1962. Over his career, he flew four space missions: Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8—the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon—and Apollo 13. He retired from NASA and the Navy in 1973 and later held executive positions in the private sector. The Washington Post+3NBC Chicago+3Times Union+3Wikipedia+6The Sun+6onwisconsin.uwalumni.com+6

Lovell co-authored the memoir Lost Moon, recounting the Apollo 13 mission, which was adapted into the 1995 film Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks. He is survived by four children; his wife, Marilyn, passed away in 2023. In a statement, his family described him as their “hero,” noting, “We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible.” Space+2NBC Chicago+2