William A. Anders, 90, Dies; Flew on First Manned Orbit of the Moon

Maj. William A. Anders, a pioneer in space exploration who captured the iconic “Earthrise” photograph during the Apollo 8 mission, passed away at the age of 90. He died in a tragic plane crash near Roche Harbor, Washington. Along with his fellow astronauts, Col. Frank Borman and Capt. James A. Lovell Jr., Major Anders made history as part of the first group of spacemen to leave Earth’s orbit. Their mission, which included capturing images of the lunar surface, provided a glimmer of hope during a tumultuous time in American history marked by war and social unrest.

The “Earthrise” photograph, taken by Major Anders, became a symbol of the environmental movement and inspired the first Earth Day in 1970. Despite the significance of the Apollo 8 mission, Major Anders expressed surprise at how the public had largely forgotten their groundbreaking voyage to the moon. In a 2015 interview, he reflected on the beauty and fragility of Earth as seen from space.

Born in Hong Kong in 1933, Major Anders followed in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a career in the military. After attending the Naval Academy and serving as a fighter pilot in the Air Force, he joined NASA as an astronaut. His expertise in space radiation and his role in testing the lunar lander module were crucial to the success of the Apollo 8 mission. The development of the mission was delayed, leading to a reprogramming for a moon orbit without the module. This risky move was an attempt to outdo the Russians in circling the lunar surface. Despite the challenges, the mission was a resounding success, with astronauts being celebrated at parades in major cities and appearing before Congress.

In 1969, Major Anders retired from NASA and the Air Force to take on the role of executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. He later served on the Atomic Energy Commission, became the first chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and served as Ambassador to Norway. Following his government service, he held executive positions at General Electric and Textron and served as chairman and CEO of General Dynamics.

Major General Anders retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1988. He is survived by his wife, Valerie, sons Alan, Glen, Greg, and Eric, and daughters Gayle and Diana. Although he did not walk on the moon like 12 other Americans, his experience with Apollo 8 orbiting the moon left a lasting impression. He found the moon’s surface unimpressive compared to the beauty of Earth as captured in the iconic “Earthrise” photo.

Despite not landing on the moon, Anders never seemed bothered by it, appreciating the unique perspective from orbit. He humorously described the moon’s surface as a “dirty beach,” acknowledging the criticism from poets for his unpoetic description.

Orlando Mayorquín contributed reporting, and Susan C. Beachy contributed research to this article.