Virgin Galactic's Space Tourism Milestone and Apollo 8 Legend's Tragic End

Virgin Galactic flew four tourists to the edge of space, achieving a significant milestone. Tragically, Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, known for the 'Earthrise' photo, died in a plane crash. He was one of the first to orbit the moon, leaving a lasting legacy in space exploration.

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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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