Earth as it really is...

Several years ago, I was fortunate to spend time with Captain Jim Lovell at the Cosmosphere (where the Apollo 13 command module "Odyssey” remains on display). He was kind, quick-witted, humble, and genuinely inspirational. 

Capt. Lovell flew in space four times:

• Gemini VII was a 14-day mission built to learn about long-duration space flight.
• Gemini XII focused on rendezvous and docking.
• Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon.
• Apollo 13 taught us countless lessons about space exploration, innovative problem solving, and grace under pressure.

One time, I asked Capt. Lovell about Apollo 8’s famed “Earthrise” photograph, and what he thinks about when he sees it.

He replied: “I see the Earth as it really is: an oasis where life exists in the vastness of space.”

📸 1: Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr. pauses for a quick photo while training for the Apollo 13 mission (April 1970). Credit: NASA