Recommendations of the Editorial team
Tom Hanks has Jim Lovell, the astronauts, whom he embodied in “Apollo 13”, according to the news of whose death honored on Friday at the age of 97.
Main character in “Apollo 13”
“There are people who dare. They dream. And the other lead to places that we would not go alone. Jim Lovell, who had traveled longer and longer for a long time than any other person of our planet, was someone like that,” wrote Hanks on social media.
“His many trips around the earth and until so close to the moon were not made for wealth or fame. But because such challenges drive the course of life. And who would be more suitable than Jim Lovell to make these trips.”
Lovell, one of the first astronauts, who circled the moon in 1968 as part of the Apollo 8 mission, was immortalized on the screen in director Ron Howard’s Oscar-nominated film “Apollo 13” from 1995, which inputs the history of the demolished lunar mission from 1970. At that time, Lovell – as a mission commander, played by Hanks – brought the damaged spaceship back to earth safely to Earth after an explosion of an oxygen tank.
A tragedy became a success
NASA also praised Lovell, “whose life and work have inspired millions of people over decades. Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation to reach the moon. And turned a possible tragedy into a success from which we have learned a lot.”
“From two groundbreaking Gemini missions to the success of the Apollo program, Jim helped our nation to pave a historical way to space. Which leads us to the moon and beyond the upcoming Artemis missions,” added NASA. “As the command capsule pilot from Apollo 8, Jim and his crew were the first to start with a Saturn V rocket. With which they proved that a moon landing was within reach. As the commander of the Apollo-13 mission, his calm strength was under pressure to bring the crew back to earth safely. NASA missions shaped. “
Hanks concluded his obituary on Friday with the words: “That night of a full moon he takes his journey. In the sky. To the stars. Good trip on this next flight, Jim Lovell.”