Apollo 13 mission commander Jim Lovell has died

American astronaut Jim Lovell, commander of the legendary Apollo 13 mission that nearly ended in tragedy in 1970, has died in his 98th year. His death was announced by NASA on Friday.

The former U.S. Navy pilot died in a Chicago suburb on Thursday. Lovell became one of the most famous members of the US space programme, whose life and work inspired millions. "His character and enduring courage became an example to many," NASA noted.

Lovell flew to the moon twice but never set foot on its surface. Despite this, he is considered one of the key figures in the history of American astronautics - it was he who led the team that was able to escape after the explosion on board the ship on the way to the moon.

Actor Tom Hanks, who played Lovell in Ron Howard's 1995 film Apollo 13, wrote on Instagram:

"There are some people who dare, dream and lead others where we ourselves would not go. Jim Lovell was just such a person."

"Houston, we have a problem."

Launched on 11 April 1970, the Apollo 13 mission was to be the third human landing on the moon in history. Lovell planned to set foot on its surface himself. Joining him on the crew were Jack Swygert and Fred Hayes. The flight was considered routine until an oxygen tank exploded in space.

Swygert transmitted to Earth the now famous phrase: "Houston, we have a problem" (in reality it sounded a little different than in the film). On board and in the control centre, hard work began to find a solution.

At a distance of about 320,000 kilometres from Earth, the crew had to take shelter in the Lunar Module, fly around the Moon on a "slingshot" trajectory and accelerate home. The coolness of Lovell, nicknamed "Smiling Jim," and the ingenuity of NASA engineers saved the mission.

For this feat, Lovell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He never flew into space again.

The way of the hero

Jim Lovell was born on 25 March 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to NASA, he served as a Navy pilot. In 1968, he was one of the first three men to orbit the moon as part of the Apollo 8 mission. It was then that the famous "Earthrise" photograph was taken, where the blue planet appears above the lunar horizon.

Lovell's family said they were "immensely proud of his life and career":

"To all of us he was dad, grandad and head of the family. Above all, he was our hero. We will miss his optimism, sense of humour and ability to make us believe in the impossible."