Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, renowned for capturing the iconic "Earthrise" photo, died at age 90 in a plane crash while flying his vintage Beechcraft T-34A Mentor.
As Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 8, Anders was one of the first three humans to orbit the Moon, providing humanity with the first-ever image of Earth from lunar orbit.
His extensive career included serving as a U.S. Air Force pilot, nuclear engineer, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and founding the Heritage Flight Museum, reflecting a lifelong dedication to aviation and exploration.
Retired Major General William Anders, military pilot, Apollo-era NASA astronaut, and founder of the Heritage Flight Museum in Washington state was killed Friday while flying his Beechcraft T-34A Mentor. He was 90.
In a statement, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remembered Anders as the embodiment of the lessons and purpose of exploration.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
