BILL ANDERS

PROFILE

Full Name:

William Alison ANDERS.

Rank:

Major-General, USAF Reserve (Deceased).

Born:

17 October 1933, in Hong Kong, China (American).

Died:

7 June 2024, in San Juan County, Washington, USA, aged 90.

Education:

1950: Graduated East Jackson High School.

1955: BSc degree in Electrical Engineering, Naval Academy, Annapolis.

1962: MSc degree in Nuclear Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology.

1979: Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School.

Career Highlights:

1950-55: Student, Naval Academy at Annapolis; (1955) graduated and elected to serve in the US Air Force.

1955-56: Flight training at air bases in Texas and Georgia.

1956-59: Fighter pilot, all-weather interceptor squadrons in California and Iceland.

1959-62: Student, USAF Institute of Technology.

1962-63: Nuclear Engineer and Instructor Pilot at the USAF Air Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

Anders had logged over 8,000 flying hours at the time of his death in 2024.

NASA ASTRONAUT ASSIGNMENTS

1963:

(17 Oct) Named as one of 14 pilot astronauts for NASA Group 3 ("The Fourteen"), but did not report until Feb 1964.

1964:

(3 Feb) began basic training; (8 Jul) Astronaut Office (Code CB) technical assignments in the Operations and Training Branch (Environmental Control).

1965:

(Feb) Re-assigned to the Apollo Branch Office with the same technical assignment; (Jun) Capcom Gemini 4; technical assignments.

1966:

(21 Mar) Named as BUp Pilot Gemini 11; Gemini 11 training including EVA training; (Sep) BUp Pilot Gemini 11; (Nov) Capcom Gemini 12; (  ) Assigned to Frank Borman's Apollo crew as Pilot (later LMP) replacing Tom Stafford; (22 Dec) named as LMP Apollo 3, third crewed Apollo, with Borman and Mike Collins; Apollo training.

1967:

Apollo training; (27 Jan) all flights and crews grounded due to Apollo 1 pad fire; (May) named LMP third crewed Apollo mission; Apollo training.

1968:

(Aug) Re-assigned as LMP from Apollo 9 to Apollo 8 for lunar flight without LM; Apollo training; (21-27 Dec) flew as LMP Apollo 8 (147 hrs 0 min), first crewed flight of Saturn V, first crewed flight beyond Earth orbit (mission included 10 lunar orbits).

1969:

(9 Jan) Named BUp CMP Apollo 11; Apollo training; (Jun) named to NASC; (Jul) BUP CMP and Capcom Apollo 11; (Sep) left Astronaut Office to assume government roles.

1969-77:

While in US Government service he technically remained an astronaut, though unavailable for flight assignment. (This type of assignment is now classified as Management Astronaut Status.)

POST-ASTRONAUT EXPERIENCE

Sep 1969 - Aug 1973:

Executive Secretary, National Aeronautics and Space Council (NASC).

6 Aug 1973 - Jan 1975:

Appointed to five-person Atomic Energy Commission.

19 Jan 1975 - Spring 1976:

First Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Spring 1976 - Summer 1977:

US Ambassador to Norway.

Summer - Sep 1977:

Fellow of the American Enterprise Institute.

Oct 1977 - Aug 1979:

Vice President and General Manager, General Electric Nuclear Projects Division.

Aug - Dec 1979:

Special assignment to attend Harvard Business School.

1 Jan 1980 - 1984:

General Manager, General Electric Aircraft Equipment Division.

1984 - 1990:

Executive Vice President - Aerospace, for Textron Inc.; (1986) Senior Executive Vice President - Operations; he was also a consultant to the Office of Science and Technology Policy; a member of the Defence Science Board and NASA Advisory Council.

1990 - 1994:

Vice Chairman, General Dynamics Corporation; (1 Jan 1991) became Chairman and CEO, General Dynamics Corporation; (1993) retired as an employee of the corporation but remained Chairman of the Board; (May 1994) fully retired from company service.

From 1994:

Retired.

2003:

Member of the Stafford/Covey Return-to-Flight Task Team (post-STS-107 recovery).

Bill ANDERS Space Flight Missions

Mission

Vehicle

Position

Dates

DD/MM/YY

Duration

DD:HH:MM:SS

Orbits

EVAs

Apollo 8

Saturn V

LM Pilot

21/12/1968-27/12/1968

06:03:00:42

1.5*

0

Missions Flown:

1

Total Flight Time:

06:03:00:42

1.5

0

*Anders also completed 10 lunar orbits