James A. Lovell Jr., a renowned astronaut known for his pivotal roles in the Apollo space missions, has died at the age of 97. Lovell passed away on August 7, 2025, in Lake Forest, Illinois. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1928, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and served as a naval aviator and test pilot before joining NASA's astronaut program in 1962.
Lovell was part of four significant spaceflights: Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8—which was the first mission to orbit the Moon—and Apollo 13. His leadership during the Apollo 13 mission is particularly notable; he guided his crew safely back to Earth after an in-flight failure threatened their lives.
Throughout his career, Lovell spent nearly a month in space and became the first person to travel to the Moon twice without landing. After retiring from both the Navy and NASA in 1973, he pursued business ventures and received numerous accolades such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1982.
Lovell co-authored "Lost Moon," which inspired the film "Apollo 13," where he made a cameo appearance. His contributions to space exploration have left a lasting impact on future generations.
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