Former astronaut William Anders, who took iconic Earthrise photo, killed in Washington plane crash

Gene Johnson and Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — William Anders, nan erstwhile Apollo 8 astronaut who took nan iconic “Earthrise” photograph showing nan satellite arsenic a shadowed bluish marble from abstraction successful 1968, was killed Friday erstwhile nan level he was piloting unsocial plummeted into nan waters disconnected nan San Juan Islands successful Washington state. He was 90.

His son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed nan decease to The Associated Press.

“The family is devastated,” he said. “He was a awesome aviator and we will miss him terribly.”

William Anders, a retired awesome general, has said nan photograph was his astir important publication to nan abstraction programme on pinch making judge nan Apollo 8 bid module and work module worked.

The photograph, nan first colour image of Earth from space, is 1 of nan astir important photos successful modern history for nan measurement it changed really humans viewed nan planet. The photograph is credited pinch sparking nan world biology activity for showing really delicate and isolated Earth appeared from space.

NASA Administrator and erstwhile Sen. Bill Nelson said Anders embodied nan lessons and nan intent of exploration.

“He traveled to nan period of nan Moon and helped each of america spot thing else: ourselves,” Nelson wrote connected nan societal level X.

Anders snapped nan photograph during nan crew’s 4th orbit of nan moon, frantically switching from black-and-white to colour film.

“Oh my God, look astatine that image complete there!” Anders said. “There’s nan Earth coming up. Wow, is that pretty!”

The Apollo 8 ngo successful December 1968 was nan first quality spaceflight to time off low-Earth orbit and recreation to nan satellite and back. It was NASA’s boldest and possibly astir vulnerable voyage yet and 1 that group nan shape for nan Apollo satellite landing 7 months later.

“Bill Anders everlastingly changed our position of our satellite and ourselves pinch his celebrated Earthrise photograph connected Apollo 8,” Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who is besides a retired NASA astronaut, wrote connected X. “He inspired maine and generations of astronauts and explorers. My thoughts are pinch his family and friends.”

In this December 1968, record photograph made disposable by NASA, Lt. Col. William A. Anders, Apollo 8 lunar module pilot, looks retired of a model during nan spaceflight. Retired Maj. Gen. Anders, nan erstwhile Apollo 8 astronaut who took nan iconic “Earthrise” photograph showing nan satellite arsenic a shadowed bluish marble from abstraction successful 1968, was killed Friday, June 7, 2024, erstwhile nan level he was piloting unsocial plummeted into nan waters disconnected nan San Juan Islands successful Washington state. He was 90. | Courtesy NASA via Associated Press

A study came successful astir 11:40 a.m. that an older-model level collapsed into nan h2o and sank adjacent nan northbound extremity of Jones Island, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said. Greg Anders confirmed to KING-TV that his father’s assemblage was recovered Friday afternoon.

Only nan aviator was connected committee nan Beech A45 airplane astatine nan time, according to nan Federal Aviation Association.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating nan crash.

William Anders said successful an 1997 NASA oral history question and reply that he didn’t deliberation nan Apollo 8 ngo was risk-free but location were important national, patriotic and exploration reasons for going ahead. He estimated location was astir a 1 successful 3 chance that nan unit wouldn’t make it backmost and nan aforesaid chance nan ngo would beryllium a occurrence and nan aforesaid chance that nan ngo wouldn’t commencement to statesman with. He said he suspected Christopher Columbus sailed pinch worse odds.

He recounted really Earth looked vulnerable and seemingly physically insignificant, yet was home.

“We’d been going backwards and upside down, didn’t really spot nan Earth aliases nan Sun, and erstwhile we rolled astir and came astir and saw nan first Earthrise,” he said. “That surely was, by far, nan astir awesome thing. To spot this very delicate, colorful orb which to maine looked for illustration a Christmas character ornament coming up complete this very stark, disfigured lunar scenery really contrasted.”

Anders said successful retrospect he wished he had taken much photos but ngo Commander Frank Borman was concerned astir whether everyone was rested and forced Anders and Command Module Pilot James A. Lovell, Jr. to sleep, “which astir apt made sense.”

Chip Fletcher, a University of Hawaii professor who has conducted extended investigation connected coastal erosion and ambiance change, recalls seeing nan photograph arsenic a child.

“It conscionable opened up my encephalon to recognize that we are unsocial but we are together,” he said, adding that it still influences him today.

“It’s 1 of those images that ne'er leaves my mind,” he said. “And I deliberation that’s existent of many, galore group successful galore professions.”

Anders served arsenic backup unit for Apollo 11 and for Gemini XI successful 1966, but nan Apollo 8 ngo was nan only clip he flew to space.

Anders was calved connected October 17, 1933, successful Hong Kong. At nan time, his begetter was a Navy lieutenant aboard nan USS Panay, which was a U.S. gunboat successful China’s Yangtze River.

Anders and his wife, Valerie, founded nan Heritage Flight Museum successful Washington authorities successful 1996. It is now based astatine a location airdrome successful Burlington, and features 15 aircrafts, respective ancient subject vehicles, a room and galore artifacts donated by veterans, according to nan museum’s website. Two of his sons helped him tally it.

The mates moved to Orcas Island, successful nan San Juan archipelago, successful 1993, and kept a 2nd location successful their hometown of San Diego, according to a curriculum vitae connected nan museum’s website. They had six children and 13 grandchildren. Their existent Washington location was successful Anacortes.

Anders graduated from nan Naval Academy successful 1955 and served arsenic a combatant aviator successful nan Air Force.

He later served connected nan Atomic Energy Commission, arsenic nan U.S. president of nan associated U.S.-U.S.S.R. exertion speech programme for atomic fission and fusion power, and arsenic ambassador to Norway. He later worked for General Electric and General Dynamics, according to his NASA biography.

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McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writer Lisa Baumann contributed to this report.

From near to right, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, William Anders and James Lovell Jr. stitchery adjacent their spacecraft astatine nan Museum of Science and Industry successful Chicago, Ill., wherever nan astronauts were celebrating nan 25th day of their six-day ngo to participate nan lunar ambiance and orbit nan moon. Dec. 10, 1993. Retired Maj. Gen. Anders was killed Friday, June 7, 2024, erstwhile nan level he was piloting unsocial plummeted into nan waters disconnected nan San Juan Islands successful Washington state. He was 90. | John Swart, Associated Press file