James Lovell, the NASA astronaut who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, turning a near-catastrophe into a triumph of ingenuity, died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, at 97, NASA announced Friday. “Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success,” NASA stated, mourning his loss while celebrating his legacy.

Lovell, a retired Navy captain, flew four space missions—Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13—logging 715 hours in space, a record until the 1970s. As command module pilot for Apollo 8 in 1968, he, Frank Borman, and William Anders became the first humans to orbit the Moon, capturing the iconic “Earthrise” photo and reading from Genesis on Christmas Eve, uplifting a nation amid 1968’s turmoil.

Apollo 13, launched April 11, 1970, aimed for a lunar landing but was aborted after an oxygen tank explosion 200,000 miles from Earth. Lovell’s calm leadership, alongside crewmates Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, and NASA’s ground team, converted the lunar module into a lifeboat. For four grueling days, they battled dwindling oxygen, water, and power, swinging around the Moon to return safely. Lovell’s famous line, “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” became a cultural touchstone, later dramatized in the 1995 film “Apollo 13,” where Tom Hanks portrayed him.

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“The mission was a success in demonstrating NASA’s capability,” Lovell said in 1994, noting it shaped his perspective: “I don’t worry about crises anymore.” Despite never walking on the Moon, his resilience earned him the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1995. Historian Roger Launius called Apollo 13 one of NASA’s finest moments, rivaling the Apollo 11 landing.

Born March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Lovell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952, marrying Marilyn on the same day. A test pilot, he joined NASA in 1962. After retiring in 1973, he co-authored “Lost Moon,” the basis for the Apollo 13 film, where he appeared as a Navy captain. He ran Lovell’s of Lake Forest restaurant until 2015. Marilyn died in 2023; he is survived by four children.

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