SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, the former astronaut who took the iconic 鈥淓arthrise鈥� photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed 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 Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed the death to The Associated Press.
鈥淭he family is devastated,鈥� Greg Anders said. 鈥淗e was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly.鈥�
William Anders has said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program, given the ecological philosophical impact it had, along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked.
The photograph, the first color 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.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who is also a retired NASA astronaut, wrote on the social platform X, "Bill Anders forever changed our perspective of our planet and ourselves with his famous Earthrise photo on Apollo 8. He inspired me and generations of astronauts and explorers. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
A report came in around 11:40 a.m. that an older-model plane crashed into the water and sank near the north end of Jones Island, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said.
Only the pilot was on board the Beech A45 airplane at the time, according to the Federal Aviation Association.
William Anders said in an 1997 interview that he didn鈥檛 think the Apollo 8 mission was risk-free but there were important national, patriotic and exploration reasons for going ahead. He estimated there was about one in three chance that the crew wouldn鈥檛 make it back and the same chance the mission would be a success and the same chance that the mission wouldn鈥檛 start to begin with. He said he suspected Christopher Columbus sailed with worse odds.
He recounted how earth looked fragile and seemingly physically insignificant, yet was home.
鈥淲e鈥檇 been going backwards and upside down, didn鈥檛 really see the Earth or the Sun, and when we rolled around and came around and saw the first Earthrise,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat certainly was, by far, the most impressive thing. To see this very delicate, colorful orb which to me looked like a Christmas tree ornament coming up over this very stark, ugly lunar landscape really contrasted.鈥�
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the crash.
Gene Johnson And Audrey Mcavoy, The Associated Press
