Legendary American astronaut Jim Lovell dies at age 97

Jim Lovell - Ảnh 1. — American astronaut Jim Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission - Photo: NASA

BBC on August 9 quoted a source from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) saying that astronaut Jim Lovell passed away on August 7 in Lake Forest, Illinois.

NASA called him “the man who turned a potential disaster into a success” and praised him for “inspiring millions.”

From rocket boy to elite team member

James Arthur Lovell Jr. was born in 1928 in Wisconsin (USA). His father died when he was 5 years old, his mother worked hard to raise him. From a young age, Lovell was passionate about airplanes and rockets. At the age of 16, he made a rocket out of gunpowder and nearly blew it up, but his passion for space exploration only grew.

Unable to afford college, he joined the US Navy, which funded his education and trained him as a fighter pilot.

In 1952, shortly after graduating from the Naval Academy, he married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Gerlach. They were together for more than 70 years until her death in 2023.

Mr. Lovell failed NASA's first astronaut selection in 1958 because of liver problems, but four years later, he was selected as one of the “New Nine” – an elite force that included legendary names such as Neil Armstrong and John Young – to carry out the goal of putting Americans on the Moon.

He participated in two Gemini missions: Gemini 7 (1965) which set a record of 14 days in orbit, and Gemini 12 (1966) with Buzz Aldrin, demonstrating the possibility of working in space.

In 1968, he, along with Frank Borman and William Anders, made Apollo 8 - the first flight to leave Earth's orbit and fly around the Moon.

On Christmas Eve, three astronauts captured the photograph “Earthrise” – a fragile, blue image of the Earth in the blackness of space – and read the Book of Genesis to a global audience of millions.

That moment became a symbol of human solidarity amid the war and instability at that time.

Historical mission

Phi hành gia huyền thoại Mỹ Jim Lovell qua đời ở tuổi 97 - Ảnh 3. — The crew of Apollo 13 (from left): Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert - Photo: NASA

Among them, the greatest achievement in Mr. Lovell's career was Apollo 13 with two teammates Jack Swigert and Fred Haise.

He is remembered as the man who “turned a potential disaster into success.” When the spacecraft was 200,000 miles from Earth, an oxygen tank exploded, cutting off power and life, forcing the Moon landing to be aborted.

With composure and coordination with the ground, he and his teammates endured the cold, lack of water and food, and calculated a safe return route in the Aquarius lunar module - which was not designed to return to Earth and was only enough to sustain life temporarily.

As the spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere, millions watched with bated breath. The radio silence was longer than usual, and many feared the worst. Then Swigert's voice rang out, followed by the release of the parachute and the safe landing in the Pacific Ocean . The world erupted in cheers.

This moment has become iconic in the history of space exploration, becoming NASA's greatest failure.

After the halo

Mr. Lovell retired from the Navy in 1973 with the rank of captain, then went into business, lecturing and writing. His memoir “Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13” was adapted into the 1995 film Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks.

In a cameo scene, Mr. Lovell insisted on wearing his real captain's uniform instead of impersonating an admiral, asserting: "I am discharged as a captain, and I will always be a captain."

On August 7 (US time), the legendary astronaut Jim Lovell passed away, but his legacy is priceless. It is his courage, his composure, and the moments that brought the world closer together - even though they were hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth.

PUBLIC REVELATION

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phi-hanh-gia-huyen-thoai-my-jim-lovell-qua-doi-o-tuoi-97-20250809101255596.htm