Topzle Topzle

Jim Lovell

Updated: Wikipedia source

Jim Lovell

James Arthur Lovell Jr. ( LUV-əl; March 25, 1928 – August 7, 2025) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he, along with Frank Borman and William Anders, became one of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon. He then commanded the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970 which, after a critical failure en route, looped around the Moon and returned safely to Earth. A 1952 graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Lovell flew McDonnell F2H Banshee night fighters. He was deployed in the Western Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La. In January 1958, he entered a six-month test pilot training course at the Naval Air Test Center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, with Class 20 and graduated at the top of the class. He was then assigned to Electronics Test, working with radar, and in 1960 he became the Navy's McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II program manager. In 1961, he became a flight instructor and safety engineering officer at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and completed Aviation Safety School at the University of Southern California. Lovell was not selected by NASA as one of the Mercury Seven astronauts due to a temporarily high bilirubin count. He was accepted in September 1962 as one of the second group of astronauts needed for the Gemini and Apollo programs. Before Apollo, Lovell flew in space on two Gemini missions: Gemini 7 (with Borman) in 1965 and Gemini 12 in 1966. He was the first person to fly into space four times. Among the 24 astronauts who have orbited the Moon, Lovell was the earliest to make a second visit but remains the only returnee never to walk on the surface. He was a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He cowrote the 1994 book Lost Moon, on which the 1995 film Apollo 13 was based, and he was featured in a cameo appearance in the film. Lovell died in 2025, aged 97.

Infobox

Born
James Arthur Lovell Jr.(1928-03-25)March 25, 1928Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died
August 7, 2025(2025-08-07) (aged 97)Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.
Education
mw- University of Wisconsin, MadisonUnited States Naval Academy (BS)
Spouse
mw- Marilyn Gerlach (m. 1952; died 2023)
Children
4
Time in space
29 days, 19 hours, 5 minutes
Selection
NASA Group 2 (1962)
Missions
Gemini 7Gemini 12Apollo 8Apollo 13
Retirement
March 1, 1973
Branch
United States Navy
Years
1952–1973
Rank
Captain
Unit
mw- .inline, .inline dl, .inline ol, .inline ul, dl dl, dl ol, dl ul, ol dl, ol ol dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd ol li VC-3VF-101
Resting place
United States Naval Academy Cemetery

Tables

· External links
Preceded byFrank Borman
Oldest Living American Astronaut November 7, 2023 – August 7, 2025
Succeeded byBuzz Aldrin

References

  1. New Mexico Museum of Space History
    https://nmspacemuseum.org/inductee/james-a-lovell-jr/
  2. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/aug/10/jim-lovell-apollo-13-obituary
  3. "Newsletter Spring 2000: Notable Americans with Czech Roots"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20080123234750/http://www.afocr.org/newsletters/spring2000.htm
  4. Burgess 2013, pp. 150–151.
  5. Townley 2006, pp. 80–86.
  6. Scouting Magazine
    http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0701/a-what.html
  7. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 57–59.
  8. "James Lovell Fast Facts"
    http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/us/james-lovell-fast-facts/index.html
  9. "Capt. James A. Lovell Visits with Wisconsin NROTC Midshipmen"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170525174952/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=98326
  10. Wisconsin State Journal
    https://web.archive.org/web/20200524030956/https://madison.com/news/local/jim-lovell-returns-to-madison-where-he-washed-dishes-cared-for-lab-rats-and-began/article_8841000a-13e5-5c28-af52-b7f4f7dfb2a4.html
  11. Burgess 2011, p. 291.
  12. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 60–61.
  13. Times Now
    https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/jim-lovell-family-all-on-wife-marilyn-lovell-and-children-susan-jeffrey-barbara-and-jay-article-152433264
  14. Lovell & Kluger 1995, p. 65.
  15. Lovell & Kluger 1995, p. 72.
  16. Burgess 2013, p. 151.
  17. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 173–174.
  18. Wolfe 1979, pp. 16, 80.
  19. Goldberg 2003, p. 15.
  20. Lovell & Kluger 1995, p. 195.
  21. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 181–182.
  22. Burgess 2011, p. 292.
  23. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 182–183.
  24. Burgess 2013, p. 7.
  25. Burgess 2013, pp. 32–33.
  26. Burgess 2013, pp. 37–40.
  27. Kluger & Lovell 1995, pp. 180–183.
  28. Burgess 2013, pp. 50–52.
  29. Slayton & Cassutt 1994, p. 120.
  30. Burgess 2013, pp. 62–63.
  31. Burgess 2013, pp. 64–66.
  32. "'The Best All-Around Group': NASA's Astronauts of '62"
    http://www.americaspace.com/2012/09/15/the-best-all-around-group-nasas-astronauts-of-62/
  33. The Tampa Tribune
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33352619/the_tampa_tribune/
  34. Wolfe 1979, pp. 392–393.
  35. Koppel 2013, p. x.
  36. Slayton & Cassutt 1994, p. 123.
  37. Koppel 2013, pp. 103–104.
  38. Wolfe 1979, p. 396.
  39. Burgess 2013, p. 163.
  40. Burgess 2013, p. 165.
  41. Burgess 2013, pp. 170–174.
  42. Burgess 2013, pp. 166–167.
  43. Slayton & Cassutt 1994, p. 138.
  44. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 223.
  45. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 239–240.
  46. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 265.
  47. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 266–268.
  48. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 268–269.
  49. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 276.
  50. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 277–280.
  51. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 547–551.
  52. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 280–282.
  53. We Have Capture
    https://books.google.com/books?id=BqdqBgAAQBAJ&q=We+Have+Capture
  54. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 286–289.
  55. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 291–294.
  56. "Gemini 7"
    https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1965-100A
  57. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 325, 342, 354, 533.
  58. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 370.
  59. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 370–373.
  60. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, pp. 373–375.
  61. "Gemini 12"
    https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1966-104A
  62. Reichl 2016, pp. 141–142.
  63. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 378.
  64. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 377.
  65. Hacker & Grimwood 2010, p. 379.
  66. "Gemini XII Crew Masters the Challenges of Spacewalks"
    https://www.nasa.gov/feature/gemini-xii-crew-masters-the-challenges-of-spacewalks
  67. Hansen 2012, pp. 304–308.
  68. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 21–26.
  69. Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, p. 263.
  70. "Apollo Command Module CM007A"
    https://pages.museumofflight.org/the-command-module
  71. NASA Roundup
    https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/roundups/issues/68-04-26.pdf
  72. Moseley 2011, pp. 106–107.
  73. Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, pp. 260–265.
  74. Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, p. 275.
  75. Ertel, Newkirk & Brooks 1978, pp. 236–254.
  76. "The Apollo 8 Christmas Eve Broadcast"
    https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo8_xmas.html
  77. Orloff 2000, p. 39.
  78. "Apollo 8: Christmas at the Moon"
    https://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/apollo_8.html
  79. The Augusta Chronicle
    https://archive.today/20121206004702/http://cgi.canoe.ca/SpaceArchive/981221_30.html
  80. Kluger 2017, pp. 259–261.
  81. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 282–283.
  82. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
    https://lroc.im-ldi.com/images/1312
  83. Orloff 2000, p. 40.
  84. Slayton & Cassutt 1994, p. 237.
  85. Thompson 2004, p. 392.
  86. "Charles M. Duke, Jr. Oral History"
    https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/DukeCM/DukeCM_3-12-99.htm
  87. NASA 1970, p. 6.
  88. "Astronaut Bio: John L. Swigert"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090731012402/http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/swigert-jl.html
  89. Universe Today
    https://www.universetoday.com/62576/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-3-charlie-dukes-measles/
  90. "Apollo 13"
    https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo13.html
  91. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/16/apollo-13-mission-control-unsung-heroes-jim-lovell-interview
  92. Harland 1999, pp. 51–53.
  93. Report of the Apollo 13 Review Board
    https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19700076776_1970076776.pdf
  94. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 348–350.
  95. Lovell & Kluger 1995, pp. 95–105.
  96. Chaikin 2007, p. 298.
  97. Chaikin 2007, pp. 304–305.
  98. Chaikin 2007, pp. 314, 322.
  99. Chaikin 2007, p. 611.
  100. Apollo 13 Flight Journal
    https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap13fj/11day3-minimise-power.html
  101. Chaikin 2007, p. 323.
  102. Houston We Have a Podcast
    https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/houston-we-have-a-podcast/apollo-13/
  103. "Captain James A. Lovell Jr. Timeline"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20071127022319/http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/pressroom/lovell/lovell_timeline.pdf
  104. Glenday 2010, p. 13.
  105. "The Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records"
    https://www.space.com/11337-human-spaceflight-records-50th-anniversary.html
  106. Burgess 2013, p. 152.
  107. "Astronaut Bio: James A. Lovell"
    https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/lovell_james_0.pdf
  108. The Indianapolis Star
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41170463/the_indianapolis_star/
  109. The Montana Standard
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41182594//
  110. Chicago Tribune
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41181676/chicago_tribune/
  111. "Distinguished Eagle Scouts"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20180709153847/https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/02-529.pdf
  112. The Springville Herald
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41231208/the_springville_herald/
  113. Buckeye Council
    http://www.buckeyecouncil.org/Scouting/Awards/Service/Silver-Buffalo-Award
  114. "Lovells of Lake Forest"
    http://www.lovellsoflakeforest.com/
  115. Lake Forester
    https://web.archive.org/web/20140222042230/http://lakeforest.suntimes.com/news/business/lovells-LFR-02132014%3Aarticle
  116. lovellsoflakeforest.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20150429051440/http://www.lovellsoflakeforest.com/events
  117. Chicago Tribune
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36018502/chicago_tribune/
  118. Chicago Tribune
    https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/ct-marilyn-lovell-obituary-20230901-ueet4ududvfovexentl7drrpre-story.html
  119. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/us/marilyn-lovell-dead.html
  120. "Acting NASA Administrator Reflects on Legacy of Astronaut Jim Lovell"
    https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/acting-nasa-administrator-reflects-on-legacy-of-astronaut-jim-lovell/
  121. Chicago Sun-Times
    https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2025/08/08/jim-lovell-obituary-apollo-13-astronaut-dies-at-97
  122. Chicago Tribune
    https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/11/column-selle-lovell-spaceflights/
  123. "James A. Lovell Jr., USA, Inducted in 1982"
    http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=65
  124. "James A. Lovell"
    https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/42448
  125. The Philadelphia Inquirer
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39764154/the_philadelphia_inquirer/
  126. Pensacola News Journal
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39797776/pensacola_news_journal/
  127. Tampa Bay Times
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39740320/tampa_bay_times/
  128. Arizona Republic
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44062092/arizona_republic/
  129. The Tampa Tribune
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39739763/the_tampa_tribune/
  130. The Evening Times
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23093107/the_evening_times/
  131. Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress 1972, p. 249.
  132. wvualphaphiomega.webs.com
    http://wvualphaphiomega.webs.com/namesakes
  133. "All Honorees"
    https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/all-honorees/
  134. Remarks on Presenting the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy to the Apollo 8 Astronauts
    https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240868
  135. Muncie Evening Press
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33382957/muncie_evening_press/
  136. The Morning Herald
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39727802/the_morning_herald/
  137. Order of the Arrow
    http://history.oa-bsa.org/node/3307
  138. spacefoundation.org
    https://www.spacefoundation.org/what-we-do/awards/general-james-e-hill-lifetime-space-achievement-award
  139. "James Lovell Received NASA's Ambassador of Exploration Award"
    https://www.nasa.gov/topics/people/features/lovell.html
  140. The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
    http://thelincolnacademyofillinois.org/laureates-alphabetically/
  141. "The Award of Honour Air Pilots"
    https://www.airpilots.org/about-the-company/trophies-and-awards/award-winners/the-award-of-honour/
  142. The Baltimore Sun
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32069952/the_baltimore_sun/
  143. Lincoln Journal Star
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32069556/lincoln_journal_star/
  144. Alabama Journal
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26977750/alabama_journal/
  145. The San Francisco Examiner
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26978415/the_san_francisco_examiner/
  146. Air Force Magazine
    http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/1997/May%201997/0597recs.pdf#page=5
  147. Valley Times
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39728431/valley_times/
  148. Fort Lauderdale News
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32070254/fort_lauderdale_news/
  149. Florida Today
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39810206/florida_today/
  150. Time
    https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019712_2019703_2019664,00.html
  151. The Charleston Daily Mail
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39810658/the_charleston_daily_mail/
  152. Albuquerque Journal
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28841417/albuquerque_journal/
  153. "James Lovell"
    https://www.astronautscholarship.org/Astronauts/james-a-lovell/
  154. Florida Today
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33582881/florida_today/
  155. The Chicago Tribune
    https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/clip/43182431/chicago_tribune/
  156. The New York Times
    https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1970/06/04/121526687.html?pageNumber=27
  157. Clarion-Ledger
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39728029/clarionledger/
  158. Chicago Tribune
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43588375/chicago_tribune/
  159. "Time Magazine covers: Jim Lovell"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20151018110543/http://search.time.com/results.html?N=46&Nty=1&Ns=p_date_range%7C1&Ntt=jim+lovell&x=45&y=14
  160. Life
    https://books.google.com/books?id=mVUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28
  161. Wisconsin State Journal
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39809893/wisconsin_state_journal/
  162. ScholarWorks at WMU
    https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1112&context=western_newsletter
  163. The Herald-News
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30062830/the_heraldnews/
  164. University of Wisconsin-Madison
    https://news.wisc.edu/astronaut-james-lovell-to-speak-at-uw-madisons-december-commencement/
  165. University of Wisconsin-Madison
    https://secfac.wisc.edu/awards-lectures/honorary-degrees/recipients/
  166. The Boston Globe
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36981911/the_boston_globe/
  167. Hintz 2000, p. 91.
  168. Chicago Times
    https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-02-14-9702140384-story.html
  169. Chicago Tribune
    https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/clip/36239172/chicago_tribune/
  170. CTVNews
    https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/article/tom-hanks-who-portrayed-jim-lovell-in-apollo-13-pays-tribute-to-the-late-astronaut/
  171. CNN
    https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/science/jim-lovell-dead-nasa-apollo
  172. "The Adler Mourns The Loss Of Captain Lovell"
    https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/blog/adler-mourns-the-loss-of-captain-james-a-lovell-jr/
  173. "Mission Moon"
    https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/explore/exhibits/mission-moon/
  174. Florida Today
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39259606/florida_today/
  175. Chicago Tribune
    https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-brew-view-david-bowie-s-man-who-fell-to-earth-20160202-column.html
  176. Lovell & Kluger 1995.
  177. Apollo 13: 2-Disc Anniversary Edition (Disc 1), Special Features:Commentary track by Jim and Marilyn Lovell
  178. "Lovell Gets Medal of Honor, Confesses Costner His First Pick to Play Him"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20191204035231/https://apnews.com/ea59ee78e4591ef1917ea1afa780dba6
  179. The Herald-News
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41169826/page_b5/
  180. "Kathleen Quinlan is waiting for the right role"
    https://ew.com/article/1996/06/28/kathleen-quinlan-waiting-right-role/
  181. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36018365/the_los_angeles_times/
  182. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/03/movies/television-review-boyish-eyes-on-the-moon.html
  183. "Damien Chazelle Astronaut Movie 'First Man' Finds Its Jim Lovell"
    https://deadline.com/2017/10/ryan-gosling-first-man-pablo-schreiber-jim-lovell-astronaut-cast-1202180966/
Image
Source: —
Tip: Wheel or +/− to zoom, drag to pan, Esc to close.