Astronaut James Lovell, who was commander of the 1970 Apollo 13 mission that managed to get back to earth safely after an oxygen tank explosion, has died. He was 97.

Famed NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, who died at the age of 97 on Thursday, played a role in the making of the hit movie Apollo 13 that chronicled the mission where Lovell served as commander. The 1970 mission was considered a "successful failure" after the spacecraft experienced an oxygen tank