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.

Astronaut James Lovell Jr., known for serving as commander of the Apollo 13 mission, died Thursday, Aug. 7, in Lake Forest, Ill. He was 97.

He led the three-man crew that survived a near catastrophic explosion in space in 1970, and was later immortalized by Tom Hanks in the movie “Apollo 13.”