Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic “Earthrise” photograph showing the planet from space as a shadowy blue marble in 1968, was killed June 7 when the plane he was flying solo crashed into the ocean near Washington state’s San Juan Island.

He was 90. His son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed his death. The Associated Press.

“The family is devastated,” Greg Anders said. “He was a great pilot and we’re going to miss him very much.”

William Anders said that this photograph was his most important contribution to the space program, because it had ecological philosophical implications, and also ensured that the Apollo 8 Command Module and Service Module functioned properly.

The first color photograph of Earth taken from space is one of the most important photos in modern history, as it changed the way humans viewed the planet. The photo is credited with sparking the global environmental movement, as it showed how fragile and isolated Earth appears when viewed from space.

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who is also a retired NASA astronaut, wrote on social platform X, “Bill Anders forever changed our view of our planet and ourselves with his famous Earthrise photograph on Apollo 8. He inspired me and many generations of astronauts and explorers. My condolences are with his family and friends.

San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said reports came in about 11:40 a.m. that an older-model plane crashed into the water near the northern end of Jones Island.

According to the Federal Aviation Association, the pilot was the only person on board the Beech A45 plane at the time.

William Anders said in a 1997 NASA oral history interview that he did not think the Apollo 8 mission was risk-free, but that there were important national, patriotic, and exploration reasons to go ahead. He estimated that there was about a one in three chance that the crew would not return and that the mission was equally likely to succeed and equally likely to not launch. He said he doubted Christopher Columbus had traveled under worse conditions than he had.

He talked about how the Earth may seem fragile and physically insignificant, yet it is home.

“We were going backwards and upside down, not really seeing the Earth or the sun, and when we turned around and came back we saw the Earth rise for the first time,” he said. “That was, of course, the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen. To see this very delicate, colorful sphere that looked like a Christmas tree ornament to me coming down over this very stark, ugly lunar landscape was really contrasting.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash.