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Astronaut Jim Lovell, who famously commanded the Apollo 13 to safety in 1970 after an oxygen tank explosion, died on Thursday at 97 years old.
Tom Hanks gave a touching tribute to astronaut James Lovell, the man he portrayed in “Apollo 13,” after Lovell passed away Thursday at age 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois. “There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own,” Hanks wrote on Instagram, calling Lovell “that kind of guy.” He praised the astronaut’s missions, saying they “were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive.” Lovell, a NASA legend, commanded the harrowing 1970 Apollo 13 mission that returned safely after an oxygen tank explosion. “Apollo 13’s” director Ron Howard also honored Lovell, remembering their work together on his Oscar winning film writing, “his support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways.”
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