Astronaut Jim Lovell, who guided the Apollo 13 mission safely back to Earth in 1970, has died aged 97. Nasa said he had "turned a potential tragedy into a success" after an attempt to land on the Moon was aborted because of an explosion onboard the spacecraft while it was hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth.

Jim Lovell, the commander of the famed Apollo 13 mission, has died, according to NASA. He was 97.

Actor Tom Hanks honored Jim Lovell, who he played in APOLLO 13, following the astronaut’s death on Aug. 7. “There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own.