Retired astronaut William Anders, who was among the first three individuals to orbit the moon and famously snapped the renowned “Earthrise” photograph during the Apollo 8 mission, tragically passed away in a plane crash in Washington state, as per reports by local media outlets.
At the age of 90, Anders was flying solo aboard his aircraft when the incident occurred near Jones Island, located within the San Juan Islands archipelago between Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as detailed by The Seattle Times with reference to his son, Greg.
Reported by the Tacoma-based Fox affiliate, KCPQ-TV, Anders, a San Juan County resident, was piloting a vintage Air Force single-engine T-34 Mentor that belonged to him.
Television footage broadcasted by KCPQ illustrated the aircraft descending rapidly from the skies before ultimately crashing into the water close to the shoreline.
At the time, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office had not yet responded to a request made by Reuters seeking verification of the incident.
A graduate of the US Naval Academy and a former Air Force aviator, Anders became a part of NASA in 1963 as a member of the astronaut group following his training. However, he did not venture into space until December 21, 1968, when Apollo 8 embarked on its historic journey as the first manned mission to voyage beyond Earth’s orbit and navigate 240,000 miles (386,000 km) to reach the moon.
Anders served as the “rookie” of the team, working alongside Frank Borman, the commander of the mission, and James Lovell, who had previously flown with Borman on a prior mission before commanding the infamous Apollo 13 expedition.
Originally intended for 1969, the Apollo 8 mission was expedited due to rising concerns about anticipated Soviet plans to send a spacecraft around the moon by the end of 1968. Consequently, the crew had only a few months to prepare for this groundbreaking yet precarious endeavor.
Throughout the mission, Anders immortalized the iconic “Earthrise” photograph, revealing Earth ascending over the lunar horizon, a snapshot that has since become emblematic in history books.
Moreover, he played a pivotal role in another memorable excerpt from the Christmas Eve journey – kickstarting the recitation from the Book of Genesis as the crew shared live images of the moon’s surface with an audience back on Earth.
He also played a crucial role in another unforgettable moment during that Christmas Eve mission – initiating the reading from the Book of Genesis as the crew transmitted images of the lunar surface to Earth.
The three astronauts were hailed as national heroes upon their return three days later in the Pacific Ocean and were honored as Time magazine’s “Men of the Year.”
Their successful mission set the stage for Apollo 11’s historic moon landing seven months later, securing U.S. dominance in the Cold War “space race” against the Soviets. Additionally, it was praised for boosting national morale at the conclusion of a tumultuous year marked by the Vietnam War, domestic unrest, and tragic assassinations.
