Jim Lovell, who was among the first astronauts to leave Earth’s gravitational pull, has died, . He was portrayed by in the which dramatized the nearly disastrous mission Lovell deftly guided back to Earth.

The space pioneer known for his work on the Gemini and Apollo missions died on Aug. 7 in Lake Forest, Illinois, according to NASA. Lovell was 97. More: Apollo 13 was only part of Jim Lovell's incredible life

He served as the command module pilot for the Apollo 8 mission to the moon and, along with his crew, became the first to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the moon. When an oxygen tank exploded during the Apollo 13 mission on April 13, 1970, Lovell told ground control, and then helped lead the 3-man crew on a rescue mission back to Earth. More: Did Jim Lovell say 'Houston,

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