In Memoriam: Renowned NASA astronaut who captured ‘Earthrise’ dies at 90 in plane crash

Anders, a lunar module pilot on the Apollo 8 mission, captured the classic ‘Earthrise’ photograph, which remains one of the most memorable and inspiring images of Earth from orbit.

Bill Anders, the Apollo 8 astronaut who took one of the most famous images in space, died at the age of 90.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the 90-year-old was flying a Beechcraft A A 45, also known as a T-34. According to the CIA, the jet crashed around 80 feet (25 metres) off the coast of Jones Island, north of Seattle, Washington, at 11:40 a.m. on Friday.

Anders' son Greg verified that his father flew the little plane and that his body was found on Friday afternoon.

"The family is devastated. He was a great pilot. He will be missed," a statement from the family reads.

Anders, a lunar module pilot on the Apollo 8 mission, captured the classic ‘Earthrise’ photograph, which remains one of the most memorable and inspiring images of Earth from orbit.

The image was taken on Christmas Eve, 1968, during the first crewed space trip to leave Earth and visit the Moon. It depicts the planet rising beyond the horizon from the barren lunar surface.

Anders later referred to it as his most significant contribution to the space programme.

The photograph is widely recognised as inspiring the global environmental movement and resulting in the establishment of Earth Day, an annual event to promote activism and raise awareness about environmental issues.