CHICAGO - Apollo 13 commander James Lovell, who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly engineering, has died. He was 97 years old.

The Brief

Apollo 13 commander James Lovell has died at age 97.

Lovell was one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts, flying four missions: Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and the ill-fated Apollo 13.

Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA confirmed in a statement on Friday.

Astronaut James Lovell dies

What they're saying:

"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," NASA said. "We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements."

Jim Lovell commanded Apollo 13, the only Apollo mission scheduled

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