Astronaut Frank Borman, Commander of Apollo 8, Dies at Age 95 in Montana

Liputan6.com, Montana – Apollo astronaut Colonel Frank Borman, who led the first mission to orbit the Moon, died in Billings, Montana, USA. That’s what NASA announced.

Frank Borman died at the age of 95.

“Today we remember one of NASA’s greatest works. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero. Among his many accomplishments, he served as commander of the Apollo 8 mission,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Thursday in a NASA statement published CNN, quoted on Sunday (11/11/2023).

Astronaut Frank Borman died Nov. 7, according to the statement.

During the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, Borman and his crew – Jim Lovell and William Anders – became the first people to orbit the Moon and witness “Earthrise”. At that time, the crew took the first photo of our planet while above the remote and scarred surface of the Moon, resulting in an iconic photo that left an indelible mark on the public consciousness.

On Christmas Eve that year, the Apollo 8 crew sent a message back to Earth.

“This is Apollo 8 coming to you live from the Moon,” Borman announced after activating a small handheld TV camera and showing viewers what the Moon looks like from space.

Borman and his crewmates then shared fragments of messages from the Book Book of Genesis.

“We are now approaching sunrise on the Moon and for everyone on Earth, the Apollo 8 crew has a message we want to send you. ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth,” Borman began.

Later, in an oral history, Borman recalled his Christmas Eve experience saying it “had a profound effect…on me,” according to NASA.

“Because of the amazement and the fact that Earth seemed so lonely in the universe. It was the only thing with color,” Borman said. “All of our emotions were focused there with our families too. So that was the most emotional part of the flight for me.”

2023-11-11 04:10:59
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