William Anders
Bill Anders | |
---|---|
Born | William Alison Anders 17 October 1933 |
Education | United States Naval Academy (BS) Air University (MS) |
Awards |
|
Space career | |
USAFR | |
Time in space | 6d 3h |
Selection | NASA Group 3 (1963) |
Missions | Apollo 8 |
Mission insignia | |
Retirement | 1 September 1969 |
United States Ambassador to Norway | |
In office 11 May 1976 – 18 June 1977 | |
President |
|
Preceded by | Thomas Byrne |
Succeeded by | Louis A. Lerner |
William Alison "Bill" Anders (born 17 October 1933) is an American former
A graduate of the
Anders was the executive secretary of the
Early life
William Alison Anders was born in Hong Kong on 17 October 1933, the son of Arthur F. Anders, a United States Navy lieutenant, and his wife Muriel née Adams. The family relocated from Hong Kong to Annapolis, Maryland, where his father taught mathematics at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. They were then posted to China. In June 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War erupted and Japan invaded China. In December, his father was serving as the executive officer of the river gunboat USS Panay when it was attacked and sunk by Japanese bombers and was wounded in the attack. Anders and his mother fled Nanjing before the advancing Japanese forces, taking a train to Guangzhou.[1][2]
From the porch of the hotel they were staying in they could see Japanese aircraft bombing ships on the
The family returned to the United States, where Anders was active in the
United States Air Force
Anders received an appointment to Annapolis, following in the footsteps of his father, who graduated with the Class of 1927. He earned a
After graduation, Anders reported for flight training, which was conducted in the piston-engine
Anders set his sights on becoming a
NASA
Selection and training
Anders now applied to the USAF
While at NASA, he became involved in
Apollo 8
On 22 December 1966, Anders was assigned to the third Apollo mission, which was to be commanded by
Although the LM would not be ready to fly in December 1968, the Apollo command and service module (CSM) would be, so a CSM-only mission could be flown. It could be sent to the Moon, entering lunar orbit before returning to Earth.[19] Slayton asked James McDivitt, the designated commander of the second mission, if he still wanted to fly it. McDivitt turned it down; his crew had spent a great deal of time preparing to test the LM, and that was what he still wanted to do.[20] When Borman was asked the same question, he answered "yes" without any hesitation.[16] Slayton then decided to swap the crews and spacecraft, so Borman, Lovell and Anders' mission became Apollo 8.[20][21] Anders was less enthusiastic about being the lunar module pilot of a mission without a lunar module.
According to Borman:
Rookie Bill Anders was thirty-five, slightly built, a devout Roman Catholic, and very serious minded. I'm not sure he ever got used to my rough sense of humor or Lovell's free-wheeling spirit. But Anders was one hell of a worker, a superb technician and all in all a great guy. Anders was always friendly and cooperative, but he avoided the usual astronaut bull sessions. Some of the guys regarded him as a younger version of Frank Borman in his single-minded concentration on work, his aversion to unnecessary conversation.[16]
Earthrise
In December 1968, Anders flew on the Apollo 8 mission, the first mission where humans traveled beyond low Earth orbit,[9] and the first crewed flight to reach and orbit the Moon.[22] When the spacecraft came out from behind the Moon for its fourth pass across the front, the crew witnessed an "Earthrise" for the first time in human history.[23] NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 had taken the first picture of an Earthrise from the vicinity of the Moon, on 23 August 1966.[24]
Anders saw the Earth emerging from behind the lunar horizon and called in excitement to the others, taking a black-and-white photograph as he did so. Anders asked Lovell for color film and then took Earthrise, which was later picked by Life magazine as one of its hundred photos of the century.[23][25] Anders stated that the Earthrise photograph "really undercut my religious beliefs. The idea that things rotate around the pope and up there is a big supercomputer wondering whether Billy was a good boy yesterday? It doesn't make any sense. I became a big buddy of Richard Dawkins."[26] According to Anders:
We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.[27][28]
On conservation of the planet, he said:
If you can imagine yourself in a darkened room with only one clearly visible object, a small blue-green sphere about the size of a Christmas-tree ornament, then you can begin to grasp what the Earth looks like from space. I think that all of us subconsciously think that the Earth is flat ... Let me assure you that, rather than a massive giant, it should be thought of as the fragile Christmas-tree ball which we should handle with considerable care.[29]
The Apollo 8 command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 27 December after a flight lasting 147 hours and 42 seconds and a voyage of 933,419 kilometres (504,006 nmi). It landed just 3.7 kilometres (2 nmi) from the recovery ship, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.[30] Due to time dilation, he had aged about 300 microseconds more than people back on Earth.[31]
Apollo 11
The Apollo 11 mission was commanded by Armstrong, with Collins as the CMP and Aldrin as the LMP. The Apollo 8 crew became its backup, but without Borman. Lovell stepped up to become the backup commander, and Anders became the backup CMP, with rookie astronaut Fred Haise as the backup LMP.[12][32]
Post-NASA career
Government service
Anders could see that Project Apollo was coming to a close, and felt that his chances of commanding a Moon mission were slim.
In his new role, Anders was responsible for developing aeronautical and space policy.[9] He worked closely with the Office of Science and Technology (OST) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and became a personal advisor to the OMB director, Caspar Weinberger.[33] Anders worked hard to bridge the gap between OMB and OST on the one hand and NASA on the other. He became increasingly pessimistic about the future of the NASC and the space program generally. He opposed the development of the Space Shuttle, urging instead that NASA concentrate on developing the Skylab space station.[38] He argued that a small Space Shuttle would be a better option than a large one, but the large one was approved because it would involve more jobs in California.[2] Frustrated with the NASC's lack of influence, he recommended in 1972 that it be abolished.[38] This was done on 30 June 1973.[39]
Nixon was impressed by Anders, and wanted to retain him in the administration.
One issue that had dogged the AEC since its inception was its dual role in both developing nuclear energy and regulating it. The perception that there was a conflict of interest between the two roles became acute with the growth of the nuclear power industry.
At the completion of his term as NRC chairman, Anders was asked if he would be interested in an ambassadorship. He did not want to, but asked his wife Valerie. She expressed an interest in Norway, based on their trip there during the Apollo 8 world publicity tour. So Anders asked if Norway was available.
Private sector
Anders served briefly as a fellow of the
In 1984, Anders left GE to join
Anders became vice chairman of
In retirement, Anders bought a house on the waterfront in the
Publications
- Kulp, B. A.; Detweiler, R. M.; Anders, W. A. (1 September 1963). "Temperature Dependence of Edge Emission in Single-Crystal Cadmium Sulfide". .
Awards and honors
- Air Force Distinguished Service Medal[9]
- Air Force Commendation Medal[9]
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal[9]
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission Distinguished Service Medal[9]
- National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal for Exploration[9]
- Collier,[48] Harmon,[49] Dr. Robert H. Goddard[50] and General Thomas D. White USAF Trophies[51]
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1969)[52]
- American Astronautical Society's Flight Achievement Award[9]
- American Defense Preparedness Association's Industry Leadership Award (May 1993)[9]
- In October 2018, the International Astronomical Union named a crater seen in the Anders' photo as "Anders' Earthrise".[53]
- Along with his Apollo 8 crewmembers, Anders received AIAA's Haley Astronautics Award in 1970.[54]
- In March 2023, Bill Anders was awarded the 2023 Michael Collins Trophy for Lifetime Achievement; by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Anders was inducted into the
In popular culture
Robert John Burke played Anders in the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.[60] Anders appeared as himself in the 2005 documentary Race to the Moon, which was shown as part of the PBS American Experience television series. The film, renamed Earthrise: The First Lunar Voyage in 2013, was about the events that led up to the Apollo 8 mission.[61] He was interviewed in a chapter of the 2015 book No More Worlds to Conquer by Chris Wright. The chapter is roughly evenly split between his life in the Apollo program and his later corporate life. The book's front cover is the Earthrise image.[62] He appeared with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell on the C-SPAN channel book review, Rocket Men. He confirmed the story that he had fallen asleep while awaiting the Apollo 8 launch.[63]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ A 1949 agreement allowed up to 25 percent of the graduating classes of West Point and Annapolis to volunteer for the Air Force. Between 1950, when the agreement became effective, and 1959, when the first class graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, about 3,200 West Point cadets and Annapolis midshipmen chose to do so.[7]
Notes
- ^ a b Pace, Eric (31 August 2000). "Arthur F. Anders, 96, Hero Aboard U.S. Gunboat in 1937". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Freeze, Di (1 April 2007). "Bill Anders: A Love of Afterburners". Airport Journals. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ "Astronauts With Scouting Experience". IEEE. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "Astronauts With Scouting Experience". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ Newland 2010, p. 109.
- ^ a b c d "Bill Anders". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, pp. 60–61.
- ^ Nominees to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Hearings Before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, Congress of the United States – Part 1: Nomination of William A. Anders (Report). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 1975. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "William A. Anders (Major General, USAF Reserve, Ret.)" (PDF). NASA. December 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ Morse & Bays 1973, p. 61.
- ^ a b "14 New Astronauts Introduced at Press Conference" (PDF). NASA Roundup. Vol. 3, no. 1. NASA. 30 October 1963. pp. 1, 4, 5, 7. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ a b Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, p. 374.
- ^ Collins 2001, pp. 288–294.
- ^ Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, pp. 231–234.
- ^ Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, p. 256.
- ^ a b c Borman & Serling 1988, p. 189.
- ^ "Poised for the Leap". Time. 6 December 1968. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ^ Vick, Charles P. "Unmasking N1-L3 An In-depth Analysis of a Critical Aspect of the Cold War: The Soviet Manned Lunar Programs, from the American and Russian Perspective". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, pp. 257–260.
- ^ a b Brooks, Grimwood & Swenson 1979, p. 262.
- ^ Collins 2001, pp. 296–298.
- ^ "Chasing the Moon: Transcript, Part Two". American Experience. PBS. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ a b Woods, W. David; O'Brien, Frank (22 April 2006). "Day 4: Lunar Orbits 4, 5 and 6". Apollo 8 Flight Journal. NASA. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2007.
- ^ "The 'Other' Lunar Orbiter 1 Earthrise Image". Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ Chaikin, Andrew. "Who Took the Legendary Earthrise Photo From Apollo 8?". Smithsonian. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- National Archives.
- ^ a b "Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 8, the first mission to circumnavigate the Moon". nmspacemuseum.org. New Mexico Museum of Space History.
- ^ Nicks 1970, p. 14.
- ^ Orloff 2000, p. 40.
- ^ Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress 1970, p. 71.
- ^ Orloff 2000, p. 90.
- ^ a b c Logsdon 2015, p. 51.
- ^ Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress 1970, p. 141.
- ^ Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress 1970, p. 184.
- ^ Logsdon 2015, p. 136.
- ^ Slayton & Cassutt 1994, p. 237.
- ^ a b Logsdon 2015, p. 200.
- ^ "National Aeronautics and Space Council. 7/29/1958-6/30/1973". National Archives. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Logsdon 2015, p. 199.
- ^ a b c Gillette 1975, pp. 1173–1175.
- ^ Buck 1983, p. 18.
- ^ "William Alison Anders". United States Department of State. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Sims, Calvin (19 March 1993). "Big Payout by General Dynamics". The New York Times. p. D1. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Pearlstein, Steven (19 March 1993). "General Dynamics CEO to Step Down". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ ""The First Earthrise" Apollo 8 Astronaut Bill Anders recalls the first mission to the Moon". The Museum of Flight. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ "Maj. Gen. William A. Anders". Heritage Flight Museum. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Apollo 8 Wins Collier Trophy". Alabama Journal. Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press. 9 May 1969. p. 18. Retrieved 3 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "AF Major, 3 Astronauts Get Harmon". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. United Press International. 7 September 1969. p. 67. Retrieved 3 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Paine Selected as NASA Chief". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. Associated Press. 5 March 1969. p. 6. Retrieved 3 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Gen. Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. USAF. May 1997. p. 156. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ Schulz, Rita. "Lunar craters named in honor of Apollo 8". EurekAlert!. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Apollo 8 Crew Honored". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. 25 March 1970. p. 12C. Retrieved 3 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sheppard, David (2 October 1983). "Space Hall Inducts 14 Apollo Program Astronauts". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. p. 18. Retrieved 3 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Diego Air & Space Museum". Historical Balboa Park, San Diego. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame". Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ Meyer, Marilyn (2 October 1997). "Ceremony to Honor Astronauts". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 2B. Retrieved 3 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Come With Us to Washington DC for the induction of the Class of 2018! – National Aviation Hall of Fame". National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ James, Caryn (3 April 1998). "Television Review; Boyish Eyes on the Moon". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- ^ Kertscher, Kevin Michael (20 October 2005). "The Making of 'Race to the Moon': Apollo 8 Documentary Producer Tells All". Space.com. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ "Anders' Game". Euromoney. June 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ "Rocket Men'". C-SPAN. April 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
This article incorporates public domain material from William A. Anders (Major General, USAF Reserve, Ret.) (PDF).
References
- OCLC 17983615.
- Brooks, Courtney G.; Grimwood, James M.; Swenson, Loyd S. Jr. (1979). Chariots for Apollo: A History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft (PDF). NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: Scientific and Technical Information Branch, NASA. OCLC 4664449. NASA SP-4205. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- Buck, Alice (July 1983). The Atomic Energy Commission (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Department of Energy. OCLC 695860164. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- OCLC 45755963.
- Gillette, Robert (28 March 1975). "William Anders: A New Regulator Enters a Critical Situation". PMID 17754277.
- OCLC 908614202.
- Mitchell, Vance O. (1996). Air Force Officers: Personnel Policy Development, 1944–1974. Fort Belvoir, Virginia: Defense Technical Information Center. OCLC 64436347. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- Morse, Mary Louise; Bays, Jean Kernahan (1973). "The Apollo Spacecraft - A Chronology, Volume II: November 8, 1962 – September 30, 1964" (PDF). The NASA Historical Series. Washington, D.C.: NASA. SP-4009. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- Newland, James D. (2010). La Mesa. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. OCLC 526116827.
- Nicks, Oran W., ed. (1970). This Island Earth. Washington, D.C.: NASA. OCLC 464307506. NASA SP-250.
- Orloff, Richard W. (2000). Apollo by the Numbers: A Statistical Reference. NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: NASA History Division, Office of Policy and Plans. OCLC 829406439. NASA SP-2000-4029. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress (1970). Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1969: Chronology on Science, Technology, and Policy (PDF). NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: NASA. NASA SP-4014. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- OCLC 29845663.
External links
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- William Anders at IMDb
- American Experience, Race to the Moon Archived 3 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Astronauts Reflect on Historic Moon Voyage 50 Years Later