After attending the United States Naval Academy and serving several assignments as a Naval Aviator flying F2H Banshee fighters, James A. “Jim” Lovell transitioned to a career as a Navy test pilot. Due to the high degree of skill and professionalism demanded of test pilots, NASA often sought them as recruits for the space program. Lovell joined the second class of NASA astronauts in 1962 and participated in the Gemini and Apollo programs. He flew four space missions, including two to the Moon. He is remembered most as the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. The six-day mission in April of 1970 was hailed a “successful failure” after the crew of three, led by Lovell, returned safely in a critically damaged spacecraft. After his retirement from the Navy and NASA in 1973, Lovell settled in Houston, where his astronaut training had taken place, and continued to work in the private sector.
