Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders Dies in Plane Crash

William Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut who took famous Earthrise photo, dies in plane crash at 90

William Anders, a former NASA astronaut who was part of the Apollo 8 crew that became the first humans to orbit the Moon, has died in a plane crash at the age of 90.

Anders was on board a Piper Cherokee aircraft that crashed near Aspen, Colorado, on Tuesday afternoon.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Anders was born in 1933 in Hong Kong. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1955 and became a fighter pilot.

In 1963, Anders was selected as an astronaut by NASA. He flew on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, which was the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon.

During the Apollo 8 mission, Anders took the famous "Earthrise" photograph, which shows the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon. The photograph has been described as one of the most iconic images in history.

After the Apollo 8 mission, Anders retired from NASA and became a businessman. He was the founder and CEO of several companies, including General Atomic and Orbital Sciences Corporation.

Anders was also a vocal advocate for space exploration. He served on the National Commission on Space and the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy.

Anders is survived by his wife, Valerie, and four children.