Anders Was Part Of The Apollo 8 Crew The First To Orbit The Moon

William Anders, NASA Astronaut Who Orbited the Moon, Dies at 90

Anders Was Part of the Apollo 8 Crew, the First to Orbit the Moon

William Anders, a NASA astronaut who was part of the 1968 Apollo 8 crew, has died at the age of 90. Anders was one of the first three people to orbit the moon.

Anders' son, Greg Anders, confirmed his father's death to CBS News, saying that the plane that crashed belonged to his father. The plane crashed in Colorado.

William Alison Anders was born on October 17, 1933, in Hong Kong. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1955 and served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. In 1963, he was selected to join NASA's astronaut corps.

Anders was a member of the Apollo 8 crew, which was the first to orbit the moon. The crew launched from the Kennedy Space Center on December 21, 1968, and entered lunar orbit on December 24. The crew spent 20 hours in lunar orbit, during which time they took the famous "Earthrise" photograph.

After Apollo 8, Anders served as the backup commander for the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first humans on the moon. He retired from NASA in 1972 and went on to work as a nuclear engineer and an environmental consultant.

Anders was a highly decorated astronaut. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross.

Anders' death is a loss to the world of space exploration. He was a pioneer who helped to pave the way for future human missions to the moon and beyond.