RIP. Who ever thought in 1970 that we would lose all of the Apollo astronauts before America returned to the moon? Pioneers like this are rare jewels in our nation’s history.
Frank Borman, an astronaut who flew on the Apollo 8 mission that orbited the moon, has died, NASA announced. He was 95.
Borman died Tuesday in Billings, Montana, according to NASA.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson, in a statement, called Borman “one of NASA’s best” and “a true American hero.” “His lifelong love for aviation and exploration was only surpassed by his love for his wife Susan,” Nelson added.
Apollo 8, launched in 1968, was the first NASA mission to both leave low Earth orbit and reach the moon. Borman, along with astronauts James Lovell, and William Anders, orbited the moon 10 times before returning to Earth. They were the first humans ever to see the far side of the moon. “Earthrise,” the iconic photograph showing the Earth half-covered in shadow above the moon’s horizon, was taken by Anders during this mission.
There are quite a few Apollo vets still living, including the guy who took this picture when he flew with Borman.
I was 10. The best Christmas Eve Ever.
I thought we’d be on Mars by at least 1990.
Still waiting on flying cars, too.