Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
NEW YORK, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — American astronaut James Lovell, who commanded the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 that returned safely to Earth after an oxygen tank exploded, died in Illinois on Thursday at the age of 97, NASA said on Friday.
"Jim's character and unwavering courage helped our country reach the moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned tremendously. We mourn his passing, but at the same time celebrate his accomplishments," the statement said.
During his life, J. Lovell participated in four space missions – Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. In 1968, J. Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders from the Apollo 8 crew became the first people to leave Earth orbit, fly to the Moon and circle it.
He gained worldwide fame for his Apollo 13 mission. In April 1970, the oxygen tank of the spacecraft carrying D. Lovell and two other astronauts to the Moon exploded. Over the next four days, following instructions from the ground crew, they moved from the service compartment to the cramped lunar module. Using it as a “lifeboat,” they circled the Moon and landed safely.
Although J. Lovell missed the opportunity to land on the Moon, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his achievements in astronautics.
J. Lovell was born on March 25, 1928, and was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1962. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
.