Remembering Apollo Astronaut Jim Lovell

NASA astronaut Jim Lovell passed away August 7, 2025. The entire NASA community mourns the loss of this great space pioneer who ventured into the unknown as one of the first astronauts to launch to the Moon. Lovell was recruited in NASA’s second group of astronauts in 1962, known as “The New Nine.” He is best known as being the commander of Apollo 13.

Jim Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 25, 1928. Lovell received a Bachelor of Science in 1952 from the United States Naval Academy, and married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Lovell, a few hours after his graduation. They were married for 71 years at the time of her death in 2023, having had four children together.

During Lovell’s time in the Navy, he served in many roles, including Navy Captain, logging more than 7,000 hours of flying time. He was the first person to fly four missions to space: Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. Apollo 8 was the first mission to orbit the Moon, and Lovell served as Command Module Pilot during the successful six-day mission. His second Apollo mission wasn’t as smooth. While serving as Apollo 13 commander, Lovell famously said “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” An oxygen tank had blown up, severely damaging the spacecraft that was currently 200,000 miles from Earth. Lovell played an integral role in identifying the issue and leading the team of three astronauts safely back to Earth. Despite flying two Apollo missions, Lovell never landed on the Moon. In total, he spent 29 days, 19 hours, and 3 minutes in space. He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970, among many other awards and honors.

After retiring from the Navy and NASA in 1973, Lovell transitioned to the business world and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1978. He also co-authored the book “Lost moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13,” which is the basis for the Apollo 13 movie that premiered in 1995. In 1999, the Lovell family opened a restaurant in Lake Forest, Illinois named “Lovells of Lake Forest.” It was family-run for 16 years before closing in 2015.

Lovell has been an honored guest to the visitor complex many times over the years. Guests visiting who wish to celebrate his legacy and learn more about his NASA career can hear his stories, in his own words, inside Heroes and Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Notably, the Apollo/Saturn V Center, accessible via the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, is home to many Apollo astronaut stories. By visiting the astronaut “holotubes,” you can hear Lovell (as well as astronauts Charlie Duke, Al Worden and Harrison Schmitt) speak to some key moments in his life and career. Now more than ever, we cherish these stories and the ability to share them for generations to come.

Jim Lovell reflects on the importance of orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve.