(NewsNation) — NASA astronaut and Apollo 13 commander Capt. Jim Lovell has died, NASA confirmed.

Lovell, 97, passed away on yesterday in Forest Lake, Illinois. His cause of death has not been released.

"NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades. Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements," NASA said in a statement.

Born in 1928, Lovell was selected as an astronaut in 1962. He served as backup commander for Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission and took part in the Gemini 7, Gemini 12 and Apollo 8 missions.

He is

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