Colonel Frank Borman, an Apollo astronaut who commanded the first mission to orbit the moon, has died at the age of 95 in Billings, Montana, as announced by NASA.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson paid tribute, stating, “Today we remember one of NASA’s best. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero. Among his many accomplishments, he served as the commander of the Apollo 8 mission, humanity’s first mission around the Moon in 1968.”
Apart from leading the historic Apollo 8 mission, Borman was a Gemini 7 veteran, spending 14 days in low-Earth orbit and participating in the first rendezvous in space, coming within a few feet of the Gemini 6 spacecraft, as noted by Nelson.
Borman’s involvement extended to the Apollo 204 review board in 1967, investigating the Apollo I fire that claimed three astronauts’ lives.
He later led the team that reengineered the Apollo spacecraft.
Borman’s contributions continued beyond his NASA career, where he became the CEO of Eastern Airlines.
His passing follows that of fellow Apollo astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, who died on October 31 at the age of 87.
Source-CNN
