Astronaut Jim Lovell, who guided the Apollo 13 mission safely back to Earth in 1970, has died aged 97.
Nasa said he "turned a potential tragedy into a success" after an attempt to land on the Moon was aborted due to an explosion onboard the spacecraft while it was hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth.
Tens of millions watched on television as Lovell and two other astronauts splashed back down into the Pacific Ocean, a moment which has become one of the most iconic in the history of space travel.
Lovell, who was also part of the Apollo 8 mission, was the first man to go to the Moon twice.
Acting Nasa head Sean Duffy said Lovell helped the US space programme to "forge a historic path".
In a statement, Lovell's family said: "We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible. He was truly one of a kind."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cl7y8zq5xpno
Topic: Astronaut Jim Lovell dies aged 97 (Read 53 times)