Frank Borman- US Astronaut Who Led First Lunar Mission, Dies At 95

Frank Borman, a former US astronaut, passed away at the age of 95. He created history when he oversaw the first manned lunar orbit mission. Later, at a period of extreme economic turmoil, he led Eastern Airlines as chairman. As one of the first three people to observe and take pictures of the Moon's far side, Frank Borman led Apollo 8.   

Who is Frank Borman?

• Frank Borman was a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut who oversaw Apollo 8, the first crewed mission to orbit the moon and successfully returned to Earth.
• He was born on March 14, 1928, in Gary, Indiana.
• Later, he guided Eastern Air Lines through a challenging financial environment as its chief executive, which ultimately resulted in the carrier's acquisition and liquidation. 
• Mr. Borman joined the Air Force as a supersonic jet fighter test pilot after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy near the top of his class. 
• He was given a flying safety award.

Contribution in Space Missions

• Frank Borman left the U.S. Military Academy in 1950 to join the Air Force as a fighter pilot. 
• Prior to being chosen for NASA's second astronaut programme in 1962, he got trained as a test pilot, just like the majority of his fellow generation of astronauts. 
• During two voyages in the 1960s, Borman spent over twenty days in space overall.
• Borman declared his retirement in 1986.
• Following the passing in 2016 of John Glenn, one of the seven original astronauts of NASA's Mercury programme, Mr. Borman became the oldest living former astronaut in the United States.
• Mr. Borman was one of the nine men selected for NASA's second astronaut corps in 1962. He led two NASA missions that established crucial infrastructure for the lunar landing in 1969.
• Together with astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., they achieved a record for the longest space endurance during the Gemini 7 voyage in December 1965. 

About Apollo 8 Mission

• Apollo 8 was the United States Apollo space program's second human spaceflight mission.
• Apollo 8 was first introduced on December 21, 1968.
• The mission made history by being the first human-manned spacecraft to depart from low Earth orbit, go to the Moon, circle it, and return without incident. 
• Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders made up the three-person astronaut team.
• The crew was also the first people to observe the far side of the Moon, orbit another celestial body, and take pictures of the "Earthrise."