William Alison Anders | |
---|---|
Born | |
Status | Retired |
Nationality | United States |
Occupation | Engineer |
Space career | |
NASA Astronaut | |
Rank | Major General, USAF |
Time in space | 6d 03h 00m |
Selection | 1963 NASA Group |
Missions | Apollo 8 |
Mission insignia |
William Alison Anders (born October 17, 1933) is a former United States Air Force officer, NASA astronaut, businessman, and engineer. He is was a member of the Apollo 8 space mission. Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were the first astronauts to leave the orbit of the Earth and go to the Moon.
The crew took the first pictures taken of the earth from the Moon.[1][2]
The Anders crater on the Moon is named in his honor.
He has a wife named Valerie E. Hoard. He has six children, Alan, Glen, Gregory, Eric, Gayle and Daina.[3]
He was a fighter pilot and an air defence commander. He received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering. He graduated from Naval Academy. In 1964, NASA selected him as an astronaut with important responsibilities.[3]
Anders was the U.S. Ambassador of Norway from 1976 until 1977.