WASHINGTON, United States – William Anders, the former US astronaut famed for capturing the iconic "Earthrise" photo during the Apollo 8 mission, passed away on June 7, 2024, at the age of 90. According to his family and NASA, Anders was piloting a small plane that crashed into the water off the coast of Washington state. His son informed US media that Anders was alone in the aircraft.
Sheriff Eric Peter reported to AFP that search teams were combing the crash site but had yet to recover a body.
Anders was part of the historic Apollo 8 mission in December 1968, alongside Frank Borman and James Lovell, becoming one of the first humans to orbit the Moon. During one of their ten lunar orbits, Anders took the renowned photo of the Earth rising over the Moon's surface, an image celebrated for its profound impact on humanity's perception of our planet. This photograph was later featured in Life Magazine's book "100 Photographs that Changed The World" and fetched 11,800 euros at a Copenhagen auction in 2022.
"In 1968, during Apollo 8, Bill Anders offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts an astronaut can give," NASA chief Bill Nelson wrote on social media platform X. "He traveled to the threshold of the Moon and helped all of us see something else: ourselves. He embodied the lessons and the purpose of exploration. We will miss him," Nelson added.
Born on October 17, 1933, in Hong Kong, Anders graduated from the US Naval Academy and earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering. Post his astronaut career, he served in various technology-related government roles, including as the first chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and later as the US ambassador to Norway. In the early 1990s, he led General Dynamics as CEO and chairman before retiring.
Of the Apollo 8 crew, only James Lovell remains alive. Frank Borman passed away in November 2023 at 95. Lovell, 96, also part of the Apollo 13 mission, survived a near-catastrophic spaceflight that inspired a Hollywood film.
The last human mission to the Moon was Apollo 17 in 1972, but NASA aims to send new astronauts, including the first woman and person of color, to the lunar surface in the coming years.
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