William A. Anders

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William A. Anders

American astronaut

Also known as: William Alison Anders

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Oct 13, 2024 • Article History

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In full:: William Alison Anders

Born:: October 17, 1933, Hong Kong

Died:: June 7, 2024, San Juan Islands, Washington

Also Known As:: William Alison Anders

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*Earthrise*Earth rising above the lunar horizon, an unprecedented view captured in December 1968 from the Apollo 8 spacecraft as its orbit carried it clear of the far side of the Moon. Taken by astronaut William Anders, this photograph has become known as *Earthrise*.

William A. Anders (born October 17, 1933, Hong Kong—died June 7, 2024, San Juan Islands, Washington) was a U.S. astronaut who participated in the Apollo 8 flight (December 21–27, 1968), during which the first crewed voyage around the Moon was made. The astronauts, including Anders, Frank Borman, and James Lovell, remained in an orbit about 70 miles (112 km) above the surface of the Moon for about 20 hours, transmitting television pictures back to Earth and verifying that lunar landmarks could be used for navigation to lunar landing sites. On one of Apollo 8’s orbits of the Moon, Anders took the famous “Earthrise” photograph.

“We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.”—William Anders

Anders graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1955. He received a commission in the U.S. Air Force and obtained a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, in 1962. In 1963 he was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the third group of astronauts.

Edwin E. Aldrin (Buzz Aldrin) stands on the moon, Apollo 11

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Apollo 8 was Anders’s only spaceflight. Anders resigned from NASA and the Air Force in 1969 to become executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. He served as a member of the Atomic Energy Commission (1973–74) and of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1974–76); as U.S. ambassador to Norway (1976–77); as general manager of the Nuclear Products Division of General Electric Company (1977–80); as general manager of the Aircraft Equipment Division of General Electric (1980–84); as vice president at Textron (1984–90); and as vice chairman and then chief executive officer at General Dynamics (1990–94).

Anders died when the small plane he was piloting crashed off the San Juan Islands in northern Washington state. He was 90 years old. a

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Tracy Grant.