Borman was selected for NASA's second class of astronauts in 1962. [Courtesy: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
Former NASA astronaut Frank Borman, commander of the historic Apollo 8 mission—the first lunar orbital mission in 1968—passed away at the age of 95.
Borman also participated in the Gemini 7 mission, spending 14 days in space and conducting the first rendezvous, and later played a critical role in redesigning the Apollo command module door after the Apollo 1 fire.
After retiring from NASA in 1970, he became a successful business leader, serving as CEO and Chairman of Eastern Airlines, and received numerous 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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
