Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders dies aged 90

The passing of Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders at the age of 90 marks the end of an era in space exploration. Anders was a key figure in one of NASA's most historic missions, becoming one of the first humans to orbit the moon and capturing the iconic "Earthrise" photo that has since become a symbol of environmental awareness.

Anders' contributions to space exploration extended beyond his time with Apollo 8. He went on to serve as Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, as well as Ambassador to Norway, where he continued to promote international collaboration in space research and exploration.

The plane was flying south when it crashed and sank off the north end of Jones Island, an uninhabited islet just west of Orcas, according to San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter. The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday afternoon the plane had been located.

San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter told CBS News that crews were searching the area, but had not yet recovered a body.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.  

Anders, who was born in Hong Kong on Oct. 17, 1933, attended the U.S. Naval Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology before being selected as an astronaut in the NASA space program in 1964, logging more than 6,000 hours flying time, according to his NASA biography.

Along with serving as a lunar module pilot for Apollo 8, he was also a backup pilot on the Gemini XI and Apollo 11 flights.

William Anders, born on October 17, 1933, in Hong Kong, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1955 and after being commissioned in the US Air Force, he earned his pilot’s wings the following year, according to the US Naval Academy’s website.

Anders served as a fighter pilot in all-weather interception squadrons of the Air Defense Command in California and Iceland, according to NASA and the US Naval Academy.

While at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in New Mexico, Anders was responsible for managing nuclear power reactor shielding and radiation effects programs, his NASA biography states.

Anders was a fighter pilot in the Air Force in interception squadrons and he was selected to be an astronaut in 1964. He joked to NBC's Harry Smith in 2018 that, “I’m probably the world’s best fighter pilot, but we don’t talk about that.”

“I must say, even today if I look up and see that little crescent moon, my hair kind of goes up on the back of my neck a little bit,” Anders said then.

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Sarah H

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