William A. Anders

William A. Anders was a United States Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut who served as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 8 in December 1968, part of the crew that became the first humans to leave Earth orbit and circle the Moon. During the mission, Anders photographed Earth rising above the lunar horizon, an image that came to be known as 'Earthrise' and is widely credited with helping launch the modern environmental movement. Anders later served as the first chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and as United States Ambassador to Norway. He died in June 2024 when the small plane he was piloting alone crashed off the coast of Washington State.