Borman was selected for NASA's second class of astronauts in 1962. [Courtesy: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
Frank Borman, a former NASA astronaut and retired Air Force colonel, passed away at 95, most notably commanding the Apollo 8 mission, which was the first human flight to orbit the Moon in 1968.
His NASA career also included the Gemini 7 mission in 1965, where he spent 14 days in space and conducted the first space rendezvous.
Borman played a crucial role in improving astronaut safety by serving on the Apollo 204 Fire Investigation Board and leading the redesign of the Apollo command module door.
After retiring from NASA in 1970, he served as CEO and Chairman of Eastern Airlines and received prestigious honors, including the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
NASA is mourning the passing of former NASA astronaut Frank Borman, who died in Billings, Montana, on Tuesday at the age of 95.
Borman, a retired Air Force colonel, enjoyed a long career with NASA and is perhaps best remembered as the commander of the Apollo 8 mission, the first lunar orbital mission in 1968.
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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.
