Former Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders Dies in Plane Crash
Anders Was Part of Historic Apollo 8 Mission
Retired Astronaut Captured Iconic Earthrise Photo
SEATTLE, June 7, 2024 - William Anders, the former NASA astronaut who took the iconic Earthrise photo during the historic Apollo 8 mission, died Saturday in a plane crash in Washington state.
Anders was 95 years old. He was piloting a small plane when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the Spokane International Airport.
Anders was one of the first three humans to orbit the moon. The Apollo 8 mission in 1968 was the first crewed mission to leave Earth's orbit and travel to the moon.
Anders's Earthrise photo, taken on December 24, 1968, is one of the most famous images in human history. It shows the Earth as a blue and white sphere rising above the lunar horizon.
Anders retired from NASA in 1973. He later worked as a nuclear energy consultant and an environmental activist.
Anders's death is a major loss to the space exploration community. He was a pioneer who helped to make human spaceflight a reality.
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