In 1968, Anders, who was a major at the time — along with Col. Frank Borman, who like Anders was in the Air Force, and Capt. James A. Lovell Jr. of the Navy — was part of the first group of spacemen to leave the bounds of Earth’s orbit. He obtained a commission in the Air Force, viewing it as more attuned than the Navy to breakthroughs in aeronautical science. In 1962, he received a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. While at NASA, Anders became a specialist in space radiation, whose effects were considered to be a potential hazard for future astronauts.

Source: Forbes June 09, 2024 10:13 UTC