Jim Lovell

astronaut · moon explorer · problem solver · space history

Moon orbiter. In 1968, Jim Lovell flew to the Moon on Apollo 8 and orbited it with two other astronauts, becoming one of the first humans ever to see the far side of the Moon up close.

Epic rescue mission. When Apollo 13 was heading to the Moon in 1970, an explosion damaged the spacecraft, but Jim Lovell and his crew figured out how to loop around the Moon and get home safely, which is one of the greatest rescue stories in space history.

Test pilot training. Before becoming an astronaut, Jim Lovell was a skilled naval aviator and test pilot, which meant he flew experimental aircraft to see how they worked and pushed them to their limits.

Engineer in space. Jim Lovell was a mechanical engineer, so he understood how machines worked, which helped him solve problems when things went wrong during his space missions.