Jim Lovell - Ad Astra
- 9th Aug 2025
- Author: Ed Kellond-Turner
On 7 August 2025 astronaut Jim Lovell passed away. Here we recap his life both in space and on Earth.
Early Life
Born on 25 March 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, few people would have been able to guess that one day James A. Lovell Jr. would make the journey into space not once, but four times, even becoming a pioneer of lunar spaceflight.
His early career saw Lovell become a navy pilot, coming top of the class for a test pilot training course in 1958, which also happened to include future astronauts Wally Schirra and Pete Conrad.
Lovell was selected as a potential astronaut candidate as part of Project Mercury, though he was unsuccessful due to medical reasons. When NASA was looking to recruit astronauts for the Gemini programme, Lovell reapplied, and this time was successful, officially becoming an astronaut in September 1962.
This image shows Astronaut Group 2, which became known as the 'New Nine', with Lovell standing in the middle of the back row. Another famed astronaut from this group, seen second from right on the front row, was Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the Moon
Gemini
Lovell flew two spaceflights as part of the Gemini programme: Gemini 7 in 1965 and Gemini 12 in 1966.
The objective of Gemini 7 was primarily experimental, though the spacecraft also acted as the target for the Gemini 6A mission, which resulted in the first crewed rendezvous in space, though the spacecraft did not dock. Over the 14 days Lovell and command pilot Frank Borman spent in space they conducted 20 experiments, the most of any Gemini mission, and tested a new spacesuit called the G5C, which proved hot and uncomfortable. At the time, this was the longest crewed spaceflight, and the cramped conditions of the Gemini capsule led Borman to describe the last three days in orbit as “bad”.
Lovell was the command pilot for Gemini 12, and he was joined by Buzz Aldrin on what was his first spaceflight. Lasting less than four days, this was the last flight of the Gemini programme, with the primary goal of proving astronauts could work effectively outside of a spacecraft during an EVA, something which previously had had limited success. Aldrin successfully completed three EVAs, the longest of which lasted for two-and-a-half hours. In this video, Lovell describes what it was like sitting in the Gemini 12 capsule while Aldrin performed a spacewalk.
Apollo
As one of the veteran astronauts of the Gemini programme, Lovell was chosen for Project Apollo, and would become the first person to fly to the Moon twice aboard Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.
Apollo 8, launched at the end of 1968, became the first crewed mission to leave the Earth’s sphere of influence when it entered into orbit around the Moon on Christmas Eve. The crew reunited Borman and Lovell, and along with Bill Anders they became the first humans to see the far side of the Moon with their own eyes. This mission was also the first test of the mighty Saturn V rocket. The importance of the Apollo 8 mission cannot be understated, with some historians describing this mission as the most historically significant of all the Apollo missions. Apollo 8 also had cultural significance, with the three astronauts reading from the Book of Genesis in a broadcast that is estimated to have been watched by a quarter of all people alive at the time. On Christmas Day, the command module began its trans-Earth injection burn on the far side of the Moon out of contact with Earth, When the capsule re-emerged, Lovell announced “please be informed, there is a Santa Claus”.
Apollo 13 is probably one of the most well-known and documented Apollo mission, second only to Apollo 11. In 1970, Lovell and Fred Haise were set to become the fifth and sixth people to walk on the Moon, with Jack Swigert acing as command module pilot. On the transit to the Moon, however, the oxygen tanks in the service module exploded, resulting in a loss of onboard oxygen and power. If not for the actions of the astronauts and ground teams, the three men would have lost their lives. Acting quickly, the path of the spacecraft was altered to utilise a free-return trajectory, in which it would use the gravity of the Moon to slingshot the craft back to Earth. The astronauts also used the lunar module as a lifeboat to provide power, oxygen and propulsion, though the trip was incredibly uncomfortable, with a cold and clammy environment. The route taken by Apollo 13 means the three astronauts hold the record for furthest distance from Earth ever travelled by humans. Upon returning safely, Lovell was quoted saying “I’m afraid this is going to be the last lunar mission for a long time.” As it turned out his concerns were unfounded, with Apollo 14 launching just nine months later.
Life After NASA
On 1 March, 1973, Lovell retired from the Navy and the American space programme. He then became a businessman in the private sector, as well as a writer and public speaker. His book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 was released in 1994, and became the basis of the film Apollo 13, in which Lovell is portrayed by Tom Hanks.
Lovell has received several awards and decorations for his achievements in spaceflight, including being inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame. There is also a small crater on the far side of the Moon named Lovell in his honour; appropriate as Lovell was one of the first people to lay eyes on the far side of the Moon.
Jim Lovell will be remembered as a pioneer in human space exploration, who flew out into the great unknown and did so with a smile on his face. He will be missed.
Full references / credits:
(Banner image) Ad Astra background design. Credit: ©National Space Centre
(1) Astronaut Group 2, known as the 'New Nine'. Credit: NASA
(2) Gemini 7 as seen from Gemini 6A During Rendezvous. Credit: NASA
(3a) Jim Lovell Aboard the Apollo 8 Command Module. Credit: NASA CC BY NC 2.0 DEED https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/9348883645/in/album-72157634758224005/
(3b) The Damaged Apollo 13 Command Module. Credit: NASA, Scan by Kipp Teague
(3c) Jim Lovell Preparing to Jettison the Lunar Module. Credit: NASA, Scan by Kipp Teague
(4) Lovell (Left), Gene Cernan (Center), and Neil Armstrong During the 2010 Legends of Aerospace Tour Aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Credit: U.S. Navy
