Sad day.
Astronaut William Anders was famous for a photograph entitled "Earth Rising". He apparently died as a Major General in a light plane crash, no other people were reported in the aircraft.
Full story at Washington Examiner:
FILE – This Dec. 24, 1968, file photo made available by NASA shows the Earth behind the surface of the moon during the Apollo 8 mission. (William Anders/NASA via AP, File)
Astronaut William Anders was famous for a photograph entitled "Earth Rising". He apparently died as a Major General in a light plane crash, no other people were reported in the aircraft.
Full story at Washington Examiner:
Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took ‘Earthrise’ photo, killed in plane crash - Washington Examiner
Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who was responsible for the "Earthrise" photo during the 1968 mission, has died at the age of 90.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic “Earthrise” photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. He was 90.
His son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed the death to the Associated Press.
“The family is devastated,” Greg Anders said. “He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly.”
William Anders has said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program given the ecological philosophical impact it had, along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked.
William Anders has said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program given the ecological philosophical impact it had, along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked.
The photograph, the first color image of Earth from space, is one of the most important photos in modern history for the way it changed how humans viewed the planet. The photo is credited with sparking the global environmental movement for showing how delicate and isolated Earth appeared from space.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who is also a retired NASA astronaut, wrote on the social platform X, “Bill Anders forever changed our perspective of our planet and ourselves with his famous Earthrise photo on Apollo 8. He inspired me and generations of astronauts and explorers. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
A report came in around 11:40 a.m. that an older-model plane crashed into the water and sank near the north end of Jones Island, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said.
Only the pilot was on board the Beech A45 airplane at the time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
