Lovell, along with fellow astronauts Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, was unable to land on the Moon due to a critical incident. Thanks to the heroic efforts of NASA engineers, the crew safely returned to Earth.
“Houston, we’ve had a problem,” became the mission’s most famous line, delivered by Swigert to the Houston control center.
Their dramatic story was adapted into the 1995 Hollywood film Apollo 13, in which Lovell was portrayed by renowned actor Tom Hanks.
In a tribute posted on X, NASA wrote that spacecraft veteran Lovell “inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped pave our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues to this day.”
