Jim Lovell, the US astronaut who led the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission and helped guide its crew safely back to Earth after a mid-flight explosion, died at the age of 97 on Thursday.
Mr Lovell was at the centre of one of Nasa’s most dramatic episodes when an oxygen tank on the spacecraft exploded on April 13, 1970, two days after launch.
The mission was meant to be the third crewed landing on the Moon, but the explosion damaged its power and life-support systems.
“Houston, we’ve had a problem,” Mr Lovell told mission control in words that have since become part of space-flight history. The phrase was later popularised as “Houston, we have a problem”.
Tributes from space community
Tributes to Mr Lovell came from Nasa, former astronauts and wider space community after his death was announced on Friday.
Nasa acting administrator Sean Duffy said in a statement that the agency sent its condolences to the family of Mr Lovell, “whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decade”.
“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learnt an enormous amount,” he said.
“We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”
Dr Buzz Aldrin, the second person to work on the Moon, said that was he was “grieving the loss of one of my best friends”.
“Our mutual respect had no limits. The Gemini XII mission we flew together paved the way for the Apollo missions. Heartfelt condolences to Jim’s family. Farewell Jim. You will be missed, my friend. Godspeed,” he said.
Impressive career
After the explosion aboard the Apollo 13 mission, Mr Lovell and his crewmates, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, worked with engineers on the ground over the next four days to come up with solutions.
They conserved power, repurposed spacecraft systems and navigated a complex return trajectory that brought them home to a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 17.
The episode was later described by Nasa as a “successful failure” because, while the original mission was lost, the crew’s survival was more important.
Mr Lovell’s space career spanned four missions, including two to the Moon, though he landed on the surface.
He was command module pilot of Apollo 8 in 1968, the first mission to orbit the Moon, giving humanity its first close-up views of the lunar surface and the famous Earthrise photograph taken by William Anders.
Earlier, he flew on Gemini 7 and Gemini 12, pioneering the rendezvous, docking and spacewalking techniques that were essential in the Apollo programme.
After retiring from Nasa and the US Navy in 1973, Mr Lovell co-wrote the memoir Lost Moon, which became the basis for the 1995 film Apollo 13.
Actor Tom Hanks portrayed him on screen, and Mr Lovell made a cameo appearance in the film.
Mr Lovell is survived by his four children. His wife, Marilyn, who he was married to for almost 70 years, died in 2023.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Company%20profile
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THREE
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
