Credit – NASA
NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md.— Capt. James A. “Jim” Lovell Jr., the Apollo 13 commander whose calm leadership turned a near disaster into a celebrated rescue, and a 1958 graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, died Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was 97.
A 1952 U.S. Naval Academy graduate and naval aviator, Lovell trained and served as a test pilot at USNTPS, graduating at the top of Class 20 before joining NASA in 1962.
Lovell flew four missions: Gemini 7 (1965), Gemini 12 (1966), Apollo 8 (1968) — the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon, which yielded the iconic “Earthrise” image — and Apollo 13 (1970), the “successful failure” that returned safely after an oxygen tank explosion.
Across those flights, he recorded 715 hours in space, a U.S. record until the Skylab era. His decorations include the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, along with Navy and NASA honors.
NAS Pax River marked his passing with a naval tribute: “Rest your oars, sir. We have the watch.”
Lovell was preceded in death by his wife of more than 70 years, Marilyn Lovell, who died Aug. 27, 2023. He is survived by their four children, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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