Bill Anders, the Apollo 8 astronaut famed for capturing the iconic “Earthrise” photograph from lunar orbit, has died at the age of 90.
Officials confirmed that Anders was flying a small aircraft that crashed into the sea off Washington state on Thursday.
His son, Greg Anders, confirmed his father’s death, stating, “The family is devastated. He was a great pilot. He will be missed.”
The crash occurred around 11:40 PDT (1940 BST) when Anders was piloting a Beechcraft A45, also known as a T-34, near the coast of Jones Island. Witness Philip Person described seeing the plane attempt a loop before it crashed, creating a fiery explosion. “I could not believe what I was seeing in front of my eyes,” Person said, comparing the scene to a movie. Video footage allegedly shows the plane trying to pull up at the last moment before hitting the water.
The “Earthrise” photograph, taken on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission, shows Earth rising over the Moon’s horizon and is credited with inspiring the environmental movement and the creation of Earth Day. Reflecting on the image, Anders once said, “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing that we discovered was the Earth.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson paid tribute to Anders, saying, “In 1968, during Apollo 8, Bill Anders offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts an astronaut can give. He travelled to the threshold of the Moon and helped all of us see something else: ourselves.”
After retiring from NASA in 1969, Anders worked in the aerospace industry and served as the US Ambassador to Norway in the 1970s. His legacy endures through his contributions to space exploration and the profound impact of his Earthrise photograph.
“Bill Anders inspired me and generations of astronauts and explorers. My thoughts are with his family and friends,” Mark Kelly, former astronaut and current US Senator, remarked.
