Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders has died. The aviator, known as one of the astronauts to embark on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, has died in a plane crash at the age of 90.
The retired astronaut was piloting a plane in a solo flight off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. Video from the crash on Friday afternoon shows an older plane, a vintage Air Force T-34 Mentor per the New York Post, traveling in a loop before taking an abrupt nosedive and bursting into flames.
Anders was confirmed to be the pilot by son Greg Anders in a statement to CBS News.
Anders Took One of the Most Iconic Photos of Earth
William Anders was selected for NASA’s space program in 1964. As part of the Apollo 8 mission, Anders took one of the most seen and discussed photos of planet Earth, titled “Earthrise.” The photo, the first color image of Earth from space, shows the planet as it looks from space, illustrating the blue marble effect it has.
We’d been going backwards and upside down, didn’t really see the Earth or the Sun, and when we rolled around and came around and saw the first Earthrise. That certainly was, by far, the most impressive thing. To see this very delicate, colorful orb which to me looked like a Christmas tree ornament coming up over this very stark, ugly lunar landscape really contrasted.
William Anders, NASA oral history
In addition to NASA, Anders was also in the Air Force Reserves. He became chairman and CEO of General Dynamics Corporation in 1991 and retired just three years later. From there, he pursued philanthropic work while also making time for his family.
With the help of his family, Anders founded the Heritage Flight Museum in 1996. It was relocated from its original location in Bellingham to Burlington in 2014. The family ran the museum together, with two of his sons joining him in addition to his wife. There, Anders served as president until 2008.
Anders is survived by wife Valerie, their six children, and 13 grandchildren. He will forever be remembers not just for his contributions to space, but to aviation as a whole.
