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Astronaut Jim Lovell, who served as the mission commander for Apollo 13, has passed away at the age of 97.
In a statement released on Friday, his family announced, “We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved father, USN Captain James A. ‘Jim’ Lovell, a Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader, and space explorer.”
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight,” the family statement continued. “But, to all of us, he was Dad, Granddad, and the Leader of our family. Most importantly, he was our Hero. We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible. He was truly one of a kind.”
Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell has died. He was 97 years old. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Lovell was part of a three-man crew in 1970 who safely landed back on Earth following an in-space emergency.
He was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1995 movie.
