William Anders

William Alison Anders is a retired United States Air Force major general, former electrical engineer, nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. In December 1968, as a crew member of Apollo 8, he was one of the first three people to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, Anders circled the Moon ten times, and broadcast live images and commentary back to Earth. During one of the mission's lunar orbits he photographed the iconic image Earthrise. Apart from his professional and military careers, Anders was the U.S. Ambassador to Norway from 1976 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. In 1984, Anders was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering for significant contributions to nuclear engineering, space exploration and research, and the development of national nuclear, aeronautical, and space policy.

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William Anders, NASA Astronaut Who Captured Iconic ‘Earthrise’ Photograph, Dies at 90 | The Apollo 8 lunar module pilot also served in the U.S. Air Force and worked extensively on nuclear energy projects

Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders killed in WA plane crash

Apollo 8 astronaut, William Anders, passes in a plane crash. He was the person to take the iconic “Earth rising” photo in 1968

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

Yang Liwei became China's first citizen in space when he launched in 2003. However, William Anders of Apollo 8 was born in Hong Kong, while American astronauts Shannon Lucid and Taylor Wang were both born in Shanghai