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

Tom Hanks posted a tribute on social media to James Lovell, who died on Aug. 7. Lovell was a NASA astronaut known for commanding the troubled Apollo 13 mission. That mission was turned into a hit 1995 film from director Ron Howard starring Hanks as Lovell.