Editor Dave Eicher poses with Capt. Jim Lovell, Lake Forest, Illinois, August 6, 2014. // Credit: David J. Eicher
You probably know that James Lovell is one of the greatest figures of the history of space exploration. Gemini program veteran, Command Module Pilot of Apollo 8, and of course the heroic commander of the crippled Apollo 13 mission, Lovell is at age 86 every bit as sharp and amazingly entertaining as ever.
On Wednesday, I had the good fortune to bring some of
Astronomy’s staff down to Jim’s restaurant, Lovell’s of Lake Forest, in suburban Chicago. I was accompanied by Senior Editor Rich Talcott, Production Editor Karri Ferron, Publisher Kevin Keefe, and Videographer David Popp. We had a wonderful lunch and then Rich and I interviewed Jim, with an emphasis on Apollo 8 and Apollo 13, for an hour.
You’ll see the result in an upcoming issue of
Astronomy magazine and with some online content, too.
What a treasure this American hero is, and what a great honor it was to spend some time with him.