Sharing a message on Instagram, Hanks wrote: “There are people who dare, who dream and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy.”
He added: “His many voyages around Earth and on to so-very-close to the moon were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive – and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages.”
Hanks ended the message by saying:”On this night of a full moon, he passes on – to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. Godspeed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell.”
Apollo 13 was set to be NASA’s third moon landing. Instead, the mission was aborted due to an oxygen tank explosion onboard the spacecraft.
Lovell (who famously delivered the line, “Houston, we have a problem”) and his crew, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, worked with NASA’s mission control to return safely to Earth.
In a statement sharing the news of his death, Lovell’s family said: “We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible. He was truly one of a kind.”
The Apollo 13 movie was directed by Ron Howard and starred Hanks alongside Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won for for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
Howard has shared his own statement, which reads: “Rest in peace, Commander Lovell. Navy test pilot, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and, of course, Apollo 13.
“Simply knowing Jim has been a tremendous honor. His combination of intellect, courage and commitment to duty made him one of the most remarkable individuals I’ve ever met.
“His support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways. Thank you, sir, for your service to our country and to humankind.”