Jim Lovell, famous Apollo astronaut passes at 97

James Lovell, who commanded Apollo 13 and was a member of the Apollo 8 crew that first rounded the moon, passed away on Thursday, which was announced by NASA.

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.

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."

James Lovell’s legacy

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