AKRON Ex-astronaut Jim Lovell to speak

A survivor of a perilous mission will recount his experiences.
AKRON -- Akron Press Club will present former astronaut Capt. Jim Lovell Jr., commander of the Apollo 13 moon mission, at E.J. Thomas Hall at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The world held its breath as the Apollo crew floated in space, short on oxygen, until Lovell and his crew successfully modified their lunar module into an effective lifeboat when the cryogenic oxygen system failed during the 1970 mission. Their emergency activation and operation of the lunar module systems conserved both electrical power and water in sufficient supply to ensure their survival in space and their safe return to Earth.
Career: Lovell was chosen in September 1962 for the space program after extensive experience as a naval aviator and test pilot, then was part of the Gemini Mission Program.
At the close of the Gemini program, Lovell became command module pilot and navigator for the epic six-day journey on Apollo 8, man's maiden voyage to the moon, during which he and his fellow crew members were the first humans to leave Earth's gravitational influence. He then was backup commander to Neil Armstrong for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. His fourth and final flight was on the perilous Apollo 13 mission.
In 1973, Lovell left the space program to join the Bay-Houston Towing Co., and later, Fisk Telephone Systems, now Centel Corp. Today, he is president of Lovell Communications, a business devoted to disseminating information about the U.S. space program.
Telling the story: In 1994, Lovell and Jeff Kluger wrote "Lost Moon," the story of the courageous mission of Apollo 13. Recently, the book has been re-released as "Apollo 13: Anniversary Edition" to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission. In 1995, the film version of the best-seller, "Apollo 13," was released to rave reviews. Lovell appeared in several segments of Tom Hanks' "From the Earth to the Moon," the acclaimed HBO documentary miniseries that aired in the spring of 1998.
Tickets: Tickets for his talk are $8 each, and are available at E.J. Thomas Hall and through all TicketMaster outlets; call (330) 945-9000 in Akron or (216) 241-5555 in Cleveland.
Akron Press Club, established in 1971, is made up of journalists, communicators, and public relations professionals throughout Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina and Wayne counties.