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R.I.P. Astronaut James Lovell

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  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,847
    edited August 9

    ...he travelled twice to the moon (logging a million space miles on the two flights slone) but never set foot on it (Apollo 8 in 1968 just orbited the moon and the  ill fated Apollo 13 in 1970).

    During th Gemini programme He flew with Frank Borman (who would later become CEO of Eastern Airlines) on Gemini 7 and again with Ed "Buzz" Aldrin (the second person to step on the moon) on Gemini 12. 

    I remember that cold morning of December 21st (the day before my birthday) sitting in a snowy field with my model rocket (a "Big Bertha" kit) on the launch pad and transistor radio in hand listening to the countdown to launch my rocket at the same time Apollo 8 lifted off for the trip around the moon as a tribute (Estes a maker of ,model rocket kits and supplies encouraged kids to do so). 

    I also remember the special holiday message being read as the Apollo spacecraft came around the moon with the earth in view.  It still give me goosebumps to this day.. 

    Yeah those were indeed heady days. 

     

    Post edited by kyoto kid on
  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,722

    condolences

  • alexhcowleyalexhcowley Posts: 2,403
    edited August 9

    Very sad news but he was 97 so he had a good innings, as we say in England. 

    I have never forgotten the commentary he did for the DVD of the Ron Howard movie Apollo 13. Both he and his wife  Marilyn came across as soft spoken but articulate. 

    The Apollo astronauts were amongst my childhood heroes so this feels like the end of an era for me.

    Cheers,

    Alex.

    Post edited by alexhcowley on
  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 5,287

    My father was an aerospace electrical engineer working on the Gemini/Apollo programs and he and I would go to exhibits of capsules around Los Angeles during my youth. We were both space-mad and hung on every flight. He even allowed me to stay home to watch launches and splash downs. James Lovell, along with those early astronauts, including ones who never made it to space, are my heroes. Apollo 13 was scary and it is weird how I forgot it until the movie came out. 

  • nannerfkmnannerfkm Posts: 68

    That era now seems like light years away.

    RIP

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,847
    edited August 11

    ...Lovell was born in Ohio but his family moved to Milwaukee when he was young.  He attuned a local high school and the University of Wisconsin in Madison before being accepted to the Naval Academy.  He was considered a "hometown hero". 

    During the Apollo 13 mission many uof us in the city and state held our collective breath.

    Post edited by kyoto kid on
  • miladyderyni_173d399f47miladyderyni_173d399f47 Posts: 2,404

    Godspeed.

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