Jim Lovell
Jim Lovell
James Arthur "Jim" Lovell, Jr.is a former NASA astronaut and a retired captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission control. Lovell was also the command module pilot of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission to enter lunar orbit. He is a recipient of the Congressional Space...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAstronaut
Date of Birth25 March 1928
CountryUnited States of America
Back in those days, going to the moon, geology was important, ... But how do we train pilots to be geologists? We concentrated on observing, not the analytical parts of the rocks.
A lot of stuff, we had to learn ourselves. Training became some school work in those areas we were not familiar with, like orbital mechanics, the extensive gyroscopic systems for control of the vehicle.
That training really helped us on the second time around, ... It was one of those acts of fate.
We hadn't seen any rats or evidence of rats until the school district started the eradication program, and then we started to see evidence of the rats moving across the fence line.
Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.
We learned a lot about the Moon, but what we really learned was about the Earth. The fact that just from the distance of the Moon you can put your thumb up and you can hide the Earth behind your thumb. Everything that you've ever known, your loved ones, your business, the problems of the Earth itself-all behind your thumb. And how insignificant we really all are, but then how fortunate we are to have this body and to be able to enjoy loving here amongst the beauty of the Earth itself.
Well, Frank, my thoughts are very similar. The vast loneliness up here at the moon is awe-inspiring, and it makes you realize what you have back there on earth. The earth from here is a grand oasis in the big vastness of space.
The lunar flights give you a correct perception of our existence. You look back at Earth from the moon, and you can put your thumb up to the window and hide the Earth behind your thumb. Everything youve ever known is behind your thumb, and that blue-and-white ball is orbiting a rather normal star, tucked away on the outer edge of a galaxy.
You need to be a person who makes things happen.
The real friends of the space voyager are the stars. Their friendly, familiar patterns are constant companions, unchanging, out there.
Please be informed, there is a Santa Claus.
Err Houston, we've had a problem. [pause] We've had a main B bus undervolt.
The Earth from here is a grand oasis in the big vastness of space.
I never thought I didn't have a card to play.