Former Astronaut Dies at 95 Years Old

(USNewsBreak.com) – In NASA’s history, there’s no doubt the crews involved with the Apollo missions were some of the most revered and successful in the space race. Before any man set foot on the moon, the administration conducted reconnaissance. Mission Control slated the Apollo 8 mission for that purpose, and when it launched on December 21, 1968, Astronaut Frank Borman was at the helm. Sadly, he recently passed away.

On November 9, NASA announced Borman died in Billings, Montana, on November 7, at the age of 95. Administrator Bill Nelson penned a statement about Borman, speaking to the man’s “passion” and “love for aviation.”

Astronaut Frank Borman, commander of the first Apollo mission to the moon, dead at 95 https://t.co/40iMz89dZf pic.twitter.com/5VmFCqeXOf

— New York Post (@nypost) November 10, 2023

Before Borman joined NASA, he served as an Air Force pilot, where he worked his way up through the ranks in many roles. His expertise in the military branch led to the space agency choosing him “to join the second group of astronauts.” Borman was a trailblazer. The Apollo 8 mission was humanity’s first foray around the moon, and then he was a part of Gemini 7, a mission requiring him to spend two weeks in “low-Earth orbit” where he was part of “conducting the first rendezvous in space.” Former President Jimmy Carter awarded Borman the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

When Borman retired from NASA, Eastern Airlines hired him, and he eventually worked his way up to become a board member and, ultimately, the CEO. However, his experience there was less successful as the company struggled amid rising fuel costs and industry deregulation.

He resigned in 1986 and retired to New Mexico. However, Borman continued to fly until he was in his 90s, proving that the passion for doing what you love doesn’t leave you just because you leave the industry.

Borman’s death followed that of another legendary Apollo astronaut, Ken Mattingly, who helped save Apollo 13’s crew and manned Apollo 16. He passed away on October 31 at the age of 87.