The Apollo 13 Commander was James Lovell, a six-letter name. Lovell was an American astronaut and a United States Navy officer. He was the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970, which was intended to be the third mission to land on the moon. However, due to an oxygen tank explosion, the mission was aborted and Lovell and his crew had to use their limited resources to return safely to Earth. Lovell is remembered for his courage and leadership during the mission, and he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970.