William Alison "Bill" Anders is an American former United States Air Force (USAF) major general, former electrical engineer, nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. In December 1968, he was a member of the crew of Apollo 8, the first three people to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, Anders circled the Moon ten times, and broadcast live images and commentary back to Earth. During one of the mission's lunar orbits, he took the iconic Earthrise photograph.
Anders in 1964
Anders (right) with fellow Apollo 8 crewmates Jim Lovell (center) and Frank Borman (left)
Earthrise, taken by Anders on 24 December 1968
Greg Anders sprays his father with the fire hose
Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing, and then departed safely back to Earth. These three astronauts—Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders—were the first humans to witness and photograph the far side of the Moon and an Earthrise.
Earthrise Taken from Apollo 8 by William Anders
Left to right: Lovell, Anders, BormanApollo program← Apollo 7Apollo 9 →
Apollo 8 space-flown silver Robbins medallion
The first stage of AS-503 being erected in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on February 1, 1968
