Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr. at 1999 National Championship Air Races

Lovell is a former Gemini and Apollo astronaut who commanded the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon.

Born March 25, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, Lovell received a Bachelor's of Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and was chosen with the second group of NASA astronauts ever recruited, participating in two of the most historical moments of this country's space program.

Gemini Program - The goal of the Gemini Program was announced in December 1961 - to continue the agency's orbit of the Earth with the development of a two-person spacecraft, as well as to extend manned spaceflight to the duration of two weeks. Lovell was backup pilot on Gemini 4 and flew as pilot on Gemini 7 and Gemini 12.

Apollo Missions - The Apollo Program was generated by President John F. Kennedy's famous promise in 1962 to and Americans on the moon by 1970. This promise became NASA's overriding directive and resulted in Neil Armstrong's "giant step" on the sea of tranquility in 1969. Lovell was command module pilot for Apollo 8 and backup commnader for Apollo 11. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to orbit the moon. The crew - Frank Borman, Bill Anders and Lovell were named Time Magazine's Men of the Year.

At the time of Apollo 13, Lovell had logged more time in space than any other astronaut and was commander of this mission. On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 crew was launched. On April 13, within minutes of their final television broadcast to earth, the mission was in trouble.

The ship's oxygen tanks had exploded threatening the ship's occupants with only three hours to stay alive. The crew continued experiencing many technical problems and had to leave the command module and climb into the lunar exploration module (LEM). Using celestial navigation techniques to determine where they were and how to get back to earth, the astronauts fired the thrusters properly and were headed for home.

After Apollo - Beyond his career as an astronaut, Lovell remained with the Apollo program for the next lunar landing, acting as a mission control advisor for the Apollo 14 mission. Lovell then moved on to lend his experience to the space shuttle program.

Lovell retired from NASA and the Navy in March 1973. He is now retired, though he tells his story of motivation and perseverance to professional and business groups. He is enjoying life with his children and grandchildren, at home in Texas with his wife, Marilyn.

With a total of six race classes and a star-studded air show, the NCAR Board of Directors is looking to make this year's event the best ever. NASA astronauts from every space program will serve as grand marshals and the United States Air Force Thunderbirds will present several shows, all courtesy of the Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino. The 1999 Reno Air Races and Air Show are Sept. 16-19 at the Reno/Stead Airport. Ticket prices for the Air Races range from $8 general admission to a four-day, reserved seat season pass at $80. Pit Passes, Box Seats, VIP packages and sponsorships are also available. For ticket information, call (775) 972-6663.