Astronaut Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 mission, has died

Astronaut Jim Lovell has died at age 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA confirmed Friday. An experienced aviator, he was the commander of the Apollo 13 mission to the moon, which nearly ended in catastrophe in 1970 after an in-flight explosion. Despite never having set foot on the lunar surface, he is considered one of the most emblematic figures of the space program.

"We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight. But, to all of us, he was Dad, Granddad, and the Leader of our family," his family maintained in a statement shared by NASA. "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."

"Houston, we have a problem"

He joined the space agency in 1962. He was an alternate on the Gemini 4, Gemini 9 and Apollo 11 flights, where he would have been replaced by Neil Armstrong as commander if the latter had not been able to make the trip. He was launched into space for the first time in 1965, on the Gemini 7 mission. The flight lasted more than 300 hours. Although he later undertook other missions, the best known was Apollo 13.

The Apollo 13 mission, launched on April 11, 1970, just nine months after Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon, it was to be the third moon landing in history.

However, an oxygen tank exploded en route, leading to an incident that Lovell's crewmate, Jack Swigert, immortalized with the famous line "Houston, we have a problem."

Lovell, nicknamed 'Smilin' Jim (Smiling Jim) by his crewmates, led his crew back to the planet in a heroic act that earned him numerous accolades. He was later played by Tom Hanks in the award-winning film Apollo 13.

The U.S. space agency said Lovell was also one of three astronauts to orbit the Moon for the first time during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, paving the way for the first lunar landing.

"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," NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy maintained. "We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements."