“During Apollo 8 in 1968, Bill Anders gave humanity one of the most profound gifts an astronaut can give,” NASA chief Bill Nelson wrote on the social media platform X.
“He traveled to the threshold of the Moon and helped us all see something else: ourselves. He embodied the lessons and purpose of exploration. We will miss him,” Nelson said.
Born in Hong Kong on Oct. 17, 1933, Anders graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and later earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering.
After his stint as an astronaut, Anders served in a variety of technology-related government positions, most notably becoming the first chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and later as the U.S. Ambassador to Norway.