Apollo 8 astronaut dies in plane crash

NASA astronaut William Anders has died in a plane crash. He died in a horrific plane crash in Washington's San Juan Islands on Friday local time.

Anders' son, Gregory Anders, confirmed this information to CNN. “We are devastated by the news and saddened by the loss of a great pilot,” he said.

William Anders was a member of the Apollo 8 spacecraft in 1968. He was 90 years old at the time of his death.

A plane has crashed off the coast of Jones Island, the San Juan County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Around 11:40 a.m. local time, their dispatch center received an initial report that an older model aircraft was flying north-south, then crashed into water near the north end of Jones Island.

The body of William Anders was recovered after a search by various rescue agencies, the US Coast Guard said.

Anders was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1964 and served as backup pilot for the Gemini-11 mission in 1966 and the Apollo 11 flight in 1969.

Anders was a member of the Apollo 8 spacecraft in 1968. He photographed the historic Earthrise from space 55 years ago. The image captures a bright blue Earth scene against the vast darkness of space. The surface of the moon can be seen in the foreground of the image. An original version of his famous painting was sold at a Copenhagen auction in 2022 for €11,800.