Astronaut Frank Borman, commander of the legendary Apollo 8 mission that was the first to orbit the moon, has died at age 95, NASA announced Thursday.
“Frank Borman was a true American hero,” US space agency chief Bill Nelson said in a statement.
This space exploration pioneer died Tuesday in Montana, NASA said.
He was passionate about aviation and began his career as an officer in the American Air Force.
“His exceptional experience and expertise led to his selection by NASA to join its second group of astronauts,” said Bill Nelson.
In 1965 he flew into space for the first time as part of the 14-day Gemini 7 mission. This mission is the first space rendezvous, in which the Gemini 6 space probe is able to get within a few centimeters.
The Apollo 8 mission launched in December 1968 with Frank Borman and two other astronauts, James Lovell and William Anders, on board.
The famous “Earthrise” photo was taken during this mission.
“His service to NASA and our country will undoubtedly inspire the Artemis generation to reach new cosmic shores,” said Bill Nelson.
NASA is planning a return to the moon with its Artemis follow-up program to Apollo. The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to launch in late 2024 and orbit the moon with a crew on board, a mission compared to Apollo 8.
This time, NASA wants to establish a permanent human presence on the moon to make it a stepping stone for human missions to Mars.