A true American hero died Thursday, August 7th. Apollo 13 Commander, Jm Lovel, who turned a near disaster into a legendary feat of spaceflight, passed away at the age of 97. He was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the movie “Apollo 13,” which dramatized the nearly disastrous mission Lovell skillfully guided back to earth. In one of the most infamous lines ever, Lovell told Mission Control….”ah, Houston, we’ve had a problem”. A routine stir of an oxygen tank ignited damaged wire insulation inside it, causing an explosion that vented the contents of both of the oxygen tanks. Lovell on how the astronauts reacted:
Eventually, a man named Ed Smylie, created an emergency CO2 filter and the Apollo 13 crew constructed it out of cardboard, plastic bags and duct tape. Under Lovell’s calm leadership the crew was brought home safely. Smylie died this past year.
Lovell had long career as an astronaut. He was the first man to fly to the moon, twice, though he never landed on it and part of the original Gemini Space Missions in the 1960’s. He was a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Thank you, Jim, for all you did for our country. You are a true American hero!
