NASA MOURNS LOSS OF ASTRONAUT FRANK BORMAN, COMMANDER OF APOLLO 8
Retired astronaut and American hero, Colonel Frank Borman, has passed away at the age of 95, according to an announcement from NASA. Borman, who commanded the first mission to orbit the moon, died in Billings, Montana on November 7.
Borman’s legacy in space exploration is a significant one. In addition to leading the Apollo 8 mission, which marked humanity’s first voyage around the moon in 1968, he also served as the command pilot for the Gemini-7 spaceflight. A key accomplishment was conducting the first rendezvous in space, coming within a few feet of the Gemini 6 spacecraft.
Aside from his incredible achievements in space, Borman also played a pivotal role in the aftermath of the Apollo 1 tragedy in 1967, serving on the Apollo 204 review board, which investigated the fire that killed three astronauts. Following his career with NASA, Borman continued his aviation work as the CEO of Eastern Airlines.
“Today we remember one of NASA’s best. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. “In addition to his critical role as commander of the Apollo 8 mission, he is a veteran of Gemini 7, spending 14 days in low-Earth orbit.”
News of Borman’s passing comes just days after the death of another Apollo astronaut, Thomas K. Mattingly II, who died on October 31 at the age of 87.
Frank Borman’s contributions to space exploration and his legacy as a pioneering astronaut will forever be remembered by NASA and space enthusiasts around the world.