William Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut who took ‘Earthrise’ photo, dies in plane crash
- The 90-year-old was alone in the aircraft that plunged into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state
Retired major general 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 on 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 lieutenant colonel Greg Anders, confirmed the death to 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 programme, given the ecological philosophical impact it had, along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked.
The photograph, the first colour 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.
Nasa administrator and former senator Bill Nelson said Anders embodied the lessons and the purpose of exploration.