Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell Dies at 97

The proud Cleveland native was one of NASA's most traveled astronauts as he went to space a remarkable four times.

He was on board Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and the infamous Apollo 13.

Jim and fellow astronauts Jack Swigert and Fred Haise were plunged into darkness after the blast as the world watched on in horror.

The astronauts barely survived as they spent four cold days stranded 200,000 miles from Earth.

In a nail-biting string of events, the astronauts’ only option was to cram into a lunar lander to attempt the gruelling journey back to Earth, guided by mission controllers.

Captain Lovell was just 42 years old at the time and the world’s most-travelled astronaut.

The journey was meant to mark Jim as the fifth man to walk on the moon.

Twenty five years after the successful return to Earth a Hollywood film was released which retold the mission.

Tom Hanks portrayed Jim with Bill Paxton, Ed Harris and Kevin Bacon also starring in the well-received movie.

The real Jim was already in the history books for his role in the Apollo 8 mission which took place two years before 13.

Jim served as Command Module Pilot and Navigator on the epic six-day journey which marked man's maiden voyage to
the moon.

He logged more than 7,000 hours flying time- - including more than 3,500 hours in jet aircraft during his time in the navy.

Captain Lovell was even once appointed to work for former US President Lyndon B. Johnson as his consultant for Physical Fitness
and Sports in 1967.

He retired from the Navy and the space program in 1973 before working in marketing and communications.

Jim's wife, Marilynn, died in 2023, just a year after a documentary was released on Netflix showcasing the Apollo 13 disaster and rescue.

The couple are now survived by their four children.