William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic "Earthrise" photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. He was 90.
It has been reported from multiple sources.
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(Score: 5, Insightful) by acid andy on Saturday June 08, @10:52AM (4 children)
Whilst tragic, it might not be the worst way to go. That's wonderful he was still flying solo at 90. Better that than rotting in a hospital bed if you ask me. RIP
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 08, @11:33AM
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday June 08, @12:28PM (2 children)
Agreed. I also hope that it was something quick and painless that resulted in the crash, he deserves that at least. The video makes it look as though it was all over in a matter of seconds.
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(Score: 2) by RS3 on Saturday June 08, @01:38PM (1 child)
I didn't see (nor look for) a video. Of course I also hope it was quick and painless.
It may be he had a heart attack or massive stroke, died, and plane went down?
I admit I haven't read any more on his passing, and with apologies, have no time to research.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 08, @02:39PM
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 08, @01:39PM
I think the first time I saw his photo was on the cover of one of the Whole Earth Catalogs. In some respects, it set the tone for the rest of my life--we humans are all in this together.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by VLM on Saturday June 08, @03:15PM (1 child)
A T-34, whoa.
That was the primary Air Force initial trainer between the end of WWII and start of the Vietnam war.
Anders, as near as I can tell based upon the Wikipedia article, joined the AF in '55 so the AF almost certainly trained him to fly in a T-34.
So it's probably not lack of familiarity that got him.
Just thought it was interesting trivia that his first and last aircraft were probably the same model nearly 70 years apart.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 08, @04:02PM
If this is still correct, the Navy still operates the turboprop version,
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/t/t-34-mentor.html [navy.mil]
(Score: 5, Informative) by looorg on Saturday June 08, @06:14PM (2 children)
https://www.planetary.org/space-images/earthrise [planetary.org]
It's a beautiful picture.
(Score: 2) by cmdrklarg on Monday June 10, @06:25PM (1 child)
I have that very picture hanging in my bedroom (rotated 90° clockwise).
The Earthrise video could only be taken from orbit, as the Earth won't "rise" above the horizon due to the Moon being tidally locked.
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Monday June 10, @06:44PM
I really do like the picture, even tho I don't have it on any of my walls. I for some reason, that I can't quite explain, prefer maps. Then a few painting to.
I really do like the Pale Blue Dot image to. It's not a great image or picture by itself. It has all the things that if you took that picture on earth and you got all that weird sunlight and things in it you would just delete it. But from space it becomes somewhat special. There is us, the tiny little blue dot, in the void of darkness (or sunlight which ever you prefer).
https://www.planetary.org/space-images/pale-blue-dot-revisited [planetary.org]