From Stars to Earth: Virgin Galactic's Success and Apollo 8's Farewell

Virgin Galactic successfully completed its second space tourism flight of the year, carrying passengers from Turkey, the US, and Italy to the edge of space. Meanwhile, retired Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, famed for his 'Earthrise' photo, tragically died in a plane crash at 90, leaving a significant legacy.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Virgin Galactic spaceplane takes tourists on flight

Virgin Galactic flew four tourists to the edge of space and back aboard its spaceplane, marking the second flight this year, the Richard Branson-founded company said on Saturday. The Galactic 07 mission carried Turkish, U.S. and Italian passengers to an altitude of about 55 miles (88.51 km) on a flight lasting slightly more than an hour.

Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took 'Earthrise' photo, dead in plane crash

Retired astronaut William Anders, who was one of the first three humans to orbit the moon, capturing the famed "Earthrise" photo during NASA's Apollo 8 mission in 1968, died on Friday in the crash of a small airplane in Washington state. He was 90. NASA chief Bill Nelson paid tribute to Anders on social media with a post of the iconic image of Earth rising over the lunar horizon, saying the former Air Force pilot "offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts an astronaut can give."

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