All Astronauts
ROOKIEIn MemoriamNASA
ROOKIEIn MemoriamNASANASA·🇺🇸 United States·Born 1933
Bill Anders
Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 8 who took the iconic Earthrise photograph, one of the most influential images ever made.
147h
Hours in Space
1
Missions
0
EVAs
—
EVA Time
Inspirations
Chuck Yeager
Biography
Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 8 who took the iconic Earthrise photograph, one of the most influential images ever made. He died in a plane crash in 2024.
Before NASAU.S. Air Force fighter pilot who flew nuclear-armed interceptors after graduating from the Naval Academy with a degree in electrical engineering, then earned a Master's in nuclear engineering in 1962 and managed nuclear reactor programs at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory before NASA selected him in 1963.
Mission Timeline
- Lunar Module Pilot
Apollo CSM / Saturn V
Apollo 8
Launch: Dec 21, 1968Landing: Dec 27, 1968Duration: 6 days- Took the iconic Earthrise photograph from lunar orbit
Beyond the Mission
Hobbies & Interests
photographyflying vintage aircraftaviation museum curation
Languages
English
Fun fact
Anders took the famous 'Earthrise' photograph on Apollo 8 — widely considered one of the most influential environmental photographs ever taken — almost by accident, grabbing a camera and shooting through the window when he spotted Earth rising over the lunar horizon during a crew-roll maneuver.
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