Maj. William Anders, a member of the Apollo 8 “Genesis Flight” crew, which successfully completed the first manned space mission to orbit the moon in 1968, died on Friday at the age of 90 in an airplane crash northwest of Seattle.
According to CBS News, Anders was solo piloting a Beech A45 airplane when an incident occurred that caused it to plunge into the water near Roche Harbor, Washington. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating what led to the crash, and as of 9:22 PM EDT, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter told CBS News that crews were searching the area but had not yet recovered a body.
During the “Genesis Flight,” Anders captured a now famous photo referred to as the “Earthrise” photo, which he had often spoke of as his most significant contribution to the space program.
In a 2023 discussion with Dr. Katherine Calvin, NASA’s Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor, Anders detailed his emotional attachment to the iconic photo, with the Earth rising over the lunar surface as they orbited the Moon, saying, “It was Christmas time, and it was like a fragile Christmas tree ornament. And I thought to myself that it’s too bad that we don’t treat it more like a Christmas tree ornament . . . it’s really too bad we’re shooting missiles, rockets and whatnot at each other on this tiny little place we call home. It’s the only home in the universe.”
Anders’ son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed his death to AP News saying, “The family is devastated. He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly.”