James A. Lovell, Jr. graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952. He became a test pilot in 1958, and was selected by NASA for astronaut training in 1962. Lovell accompanied Frank Borman on the record-breaking 14-day flight of Gemini 7. Launched December 4th 1965, Gemini 7 was joined in space by Gemini 6, accomplishing the first successful space rendezvous. On December 21st 1968, Lovell, Borman, and Anders became the first men to leave earth's gravity and orbit the moon. Apollo 8 was the first of three flights preparatory to the moon landing of Apollo 11. With astronauts Fred W. Haise, John L. Swigert, Jr., and Lovell aboard, Apollo 13 lifted off on April 11th 1970, headed for the Fra Mauro Hills on the moon. On April 13th, approximately 205,000 miles from earth, an explosion on board forced the abandonment of the mission. With the successful return of Apollo 13 on April 17th, Lovell had completed over 715 hours of space travel. In 1971 Lovell became a deputy director of the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas. He retired from the Navy and the space program in 1973.
Inducted in 1990.
Portrait Location: Space Gallery

Induction Video