James Lovell
Astronaut James Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 25, 1928. He attended the University of Wisconsin and the United States Naval Academy.
Lovell was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1962.
Lovell's first space flight was the Gemini 7 mission which included the first rendezvous of two manned maneuverable spacecraft.
Lovell commanded the Gemini 12 mission which began on November 11, 1966. The 4-day flight brought the Gemini program to a successful close.
Lovell served as Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, man's first voyage to the moon in December of 1968.
Lovell's final space flight was as Commander of Apollo 13 flight in April of 1970. Lovell and fellow crewmen, John L. Swigert and Fred W. Haise found themselves in a life-threatening siuation after an explosion crippled their Service Module. Working closely with Houston ground controllers, the crew converted their Lunar Module into a lifeboat which allowed them to return to earth safely.
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