Frank Borman, who commanded the 1st mission around the Moon, dies – 11/09/2023 – Science

Frank Borman, the NASA astronaut who directed the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, the first manned space flight around the Moon, has died at age 95.

The death occurred on Tuesday (7) in Billings, in the American state of Montana, and was announced by the space agency this Thursday (9).

“Today we remember one of NASA’s best,” said agency administrator Bill Nelson.

“His lifelong love of aviation and exploration was surpassed only by his love for his wife Susan,” he added.

Born on March 14, 1928 in Gary (Indiana), Borman began his career in the American Air Force, where he flew as a fighter and test pilot, and became an assistant professor of thermodynamics at the West Point military academy.

However, he will be remembered as a pioneer of space exploration.

He set the record of 14 days in space during the 1965 Gemini 7 mission along with Jim Lovell. On this trip, the first spacecraft approach with the Gemini 6 spacecraft took place.

Borman took command of Apollo 8 and became one of the first three human beings, along with his companions Lovell and William Anders, to see and photograph the far side of the Moon.

Apollo 8 was also famous for producing the “earthrise” photograph, an image in which the Earth appears partially in shadow, with the lunar surface in the foreground, taken by Anders on December 4, 1968 .

After his career at NASA, Borman was CEO of Eastern Airlines.

“Frank knew the power of exploration to unite humanity when he said, ‘Exploration is truly the essence of the human spirit,'” Nelson said.

“Your service to NASA and our nation will undoubtedly fuel the Artemis Generation to reach new cosmic shores,” he added, referring to the space program that hopes to return to explore the Moon and take the first woman and next man to the satellite natural in 2025.