WEB William Alison Anders
October 17, 1933 – June 7, 2024
Electrical Engineer, Nuclear Engineer, Major General
WEB William "Bill" Anders (born William Alison Anders; October 17, 1933 – June 7, 2024) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) major general, electrical engineer, and nuclear engineer. Anders is best known for being a member of the Apollo 8 mission, the first manned space mission to orbit the Moon.
Anders graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1955. He then earned a Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1962. After working as a nuclear engineer for the USAF, Anders was selected for NASA's astronaut program in 1963.
Anders' first spaceflight was on the Gemini 11 mission in 1966. During this mission, he and his crewmate, Frank Borman, conducted a series of experiments and became the first humans to orbit the Earth twice in a single day. Anders' second and final spaceflight was on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. During this mission, he, Borman, and Jim Lovell became the first humans to orbit the Moon.
Anders retired from NASA in 1969 and went on to work for various government agencies and private companies. He died in a plane crash on June 7, 2024, at the age of 90.
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