Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, famed Apollo 8 astronaut and photographer of the iconic 1968 Earthrise image, tragically died on Friday when the plane he was piloting crashed into the waters near the San Juan Islands, Washington. He was 90.
“The family is devastated,” confirmed his son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, to the Associated Press. “He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly.”
Anders considered the Earthrise photo his most significant contribution to the space program due to its profound ecological and philosophical impact, alongside ensuring the Apollo 8 command and service modules functioned properly.
At around 11:40 a.m., reports indicated an older-model plane had crashed and sunk near the north end of Jones Island, according to San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Anders was the sole occupant of the Beech A45 airplane.
Arizona Senator and retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly honored Anders on social media: “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.”
In a 1997 NASA oral-history interview, Anders reflected on the Apollo 8 mission's risks, estimating a one-in-three chance of failure or success, comparable to Christopher Columbus's voyage. He recounted the awe of witnessing Earthrise after orbiting the moon and the crew’s spontaneous reaction to photograph the delicate, colorful planet rising over the stark lunar landscape.
“We’d been going backwards and upside down, didn’t really see the Earth or the sun, and when we rolled around and came around and saw the first Earthrise,” he recalled. “That 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.”
The Earthrise photo, showing Earth as a vibrant swirl of life against the blackness of space and the moon’s barren surface, became a defining image of our planet’s fragility and beauty.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the crash.
Anders and his wife, Valerie, founded the Heritage Flight Museum in Washington state in 1996. Located at a regional airport in Burlington, it features 15 aircraft, antique military vehicles, a library, and artifacts donated by veterans. The couple moved to Orcas Island in 1993 and maintained a second home in San Diego. They had six children and 13 grandchildren.
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