James Lovell, Apollo 13 Hero Played by Tom Hanks in the Movie, Dies at 97 originally appeared on Parade.
James Lovell, the NASA astronaut who steered the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission from the brink of disaster back to Earth, has died. He was 97.
NASA confirmed Lovell’s passing in a statement on Friday, noting he died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois.
“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” the agency said, according to the Associated Press. “We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”
We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran.
Lovell’s life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues today. https://t.co/AjT8qmxsZI pic.twitter.com/jBlxzgrmSk
— NASA (@NASA) August 8, 2025
Lovell’s name became synonymous with composure under pressure during the infamous 1970 Apollo 13 mission — an aborted moon landing that captivated the world and became a defining moment in American spaceflight history.
The mission, meant to send Lovell to the lunar surface, instead saw him lead his crew through a terrifying cascade of system failures after an oxygen tank exploded 200,000 miles from Earth.
“We knew we were in deep, deep trouble,” Lovell later recalled. “We didn’t have solutions to get home.”
Lovell’s experience was immortalized in Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13, with Tom Hanks portraying Lovell and delivering a slightly modified version of a line Lovell never actually said: “Houston, we have a problem.”
The real quote was: “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”
The astronaut even appeared at the actor’s AFI Lifetime Achievement Award celebration in 2002, saying of Hanks: “Although both of us have been known to reach for the heavens, you are truly one of America’s great stars.”
Lovell’s life in space extended far beyond that singular mission.
He flew four times — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13 — logging nearly 30 days in orbit. He was the first person to fly to the moon twice and, until the mid-1970s, held the record for most time in space, per AP.
“What I keep imagining, is if I am some lonely traveler from another planet, what I would think about the Earth at this altitude, whether I think it would be inhabited or not,” Lovell mused during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.
During Apollo 8, he and his crew became the first humans to orbit the moon. The crew’s Christmas Eve broadcast was credited by some with offering a moment of unity during a deeply divided year in American history.
Despite his legacy, Lovell carried one lingering regret.
“The loss of the opportunity to walk on the moon is my one regret,” he said in a 1995 interview. Still, he added, “The mission itself and the fact that we triumphed over certain catastrophe does give me a deep sense of satisfaction.”
His wife of over 70 years, Marilynn, died in 2023. Lovell is survived by four children.
In a statement, his family said, “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.”
James Lovell, Apollo 13 Hero Played by Tom Hanks in the Movie, Dies at 97 first appeared on Parade on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
