Anders, William

Anders, William 

Born Oct. 17, 1933, in Hong Kong. American pilot and astronaut; air force major.

In 1955, Anders graduated from the United States Naval Academy with the degree of bachelor of science. Upon graduating from the Air Force Institute of Technology he received the degree of master of science (1962). He worked as an engineer in the field of nuclear physics at the Weapons Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base. In October 1963 he became a member of the group of astronauts of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the USA. Along with F. Borman and J. Lovell, he made a flight as third pilot on the Apollo 8 spacecraft, which was put into orbit around the earth on Dec. 21, 1968, and which was then launched from orbit toward the moon. The ship returned to earth on Dec. 27, 1968, after having completed ten orbits of the moon.