Jim Lovell commanded Apollo 13, the only Apollo mission scheduled to land on the moon which did not / Bettmann via CBS News

Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the famous Apollo 13 mission, has died, NASA announced Friday. He was 97.

Apollo 13, a 1970 flight to the moon, became known as a “successful failure” after the spacecraft experienced an oxygen tank explosion thousands of miles from Earth but managed to safely return home.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said in a statement that Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois. Duffy praised Lovell’s life and work, saying he inspired millions of people.

“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,” Duffy said.

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