Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 commander, dies at 97

(CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the famous Apollo 13 mission, has died, NASA announced Friday.

Apollo 13, a 1970 flight to the moon, became known as a "successful failure" after the spacecraft experienced an oxygen tank explosion thousands of miles from Earth but managed to safely return home.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said in a statement that Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois. Duffy praised Lovell's life and work, saying he inspired millions of people.

"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," Duffy said.

Lovell was the command module pilot for 1968's Apollo 8 mission, the first to carry humans to the moon and back, though it did not land on the lunar surface.

He was 97.