Maj. William A. Anders, an Iconic astronaut who flew in Apollo 8, the first manned space mission to orbit the moon died at the age of 90 in a plane crash. New York Times reported that the small aircraft he flew, has crashed into the water near Roche Harbor, northwest of Seattle. He was 90.
He also went to history by taking the color photograph “Earthrise” boarding in the “Genesis Flight” of Christmas Eve in 1968. Anders died in the crash on Friday morning when a small plane Beechcraft T-34 Mentor he was flying alone. It is said that the plane was owned by himself.
Greg Anders confirming his death said the family was devastated after hearing about the loss of his father’s life.
The accident took place around 11:40 a.m. Seattle time. The incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. A rescue team of the U.S. Coast Guard recovered the body from the area.
Major Anders was one of the three spacemen who left the first the bounds of Earth’s orbit. His colleagues were Col. Frank Borman, both of the Air Force, and Capt. James A. Lovell Jr. of the Navy.
On Christmas Eve, during their 10 orbits of the moon, the three astronauts, whose movements were telecast to millions around the world, took photos of Earth as it rose over the lunar horizon, appearing as a blue marble amid the blackness of the heavens. But only Major Anders, who oversaw their spacecraft’s electronic and communications systems, shot color film.
His photo became popular throughout the world and Known as “Earthrise,” Decades later, in a 2015 interview with Forbes magazine, Major Anders said of Earthrise, “The view points out the beauty of Earth and its fragility. It helped kick start the environmental movement.”
The renowned astronaut Anders was born in Hong Kong on Oct. 17, 1933. His father, Lt. Arthur Anders, a career Navy man served in China and they lived in Hong Kong,
Anders served in several important roles throughout his career. From 1969 to 1973, he was the executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. He then became a commissioner of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1973 to 1975. Following that, he was the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1975 to 1976. From 1976 to 1977, he served as the Ambassador to Norway.
In September 1977, Anders joined General Electric (GE) as vice president and general manager of its Nuclear Products Division. In 1980, he became the general manager of GE’s Aircraft Equipment Division. Later, he moved to Textron, where he served as executive vice president for aerospace, and then as senior executive vice president for operations.
While working in civil service, Anders also served as a reserve officer in the USAF and kept his active flight status. He retired from the reserve as a major general in 1988.
In 1990, Anders became the vice chairman of General Dynamics. On January 1, 1991, he became its chairman and CEO, a position he held until he retired as CEO in 1993 and as chairman in May 1994.
Sadly, on June 7, 2024, Anders died while flying his vintage Beechcraft T-34 Mentor over the San Juan Islands in Washington state. His plane crashed into Puget Sound.
