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November 13, 2023
by
michael newfeld
Frank Bowman was one of the great explorers of the 20th century. As commander of Apollo 8, he was one of the first three humans to leave low Earth orbit, travel to deep space, and orbit the moon. But space exploration was not his dream. An air force officer, patriot, and ardent Cold War fighter, he wanted to defeat the Soviet Union in the lunar race and played a central role in making that happen.
Prior to the historic spaceflight in December 1968, he played a leading role in the investigation into the tragic fire on the launch pad in January 1967 that killed the first Apollo crew. As a result, a complete overhaul of the Apollo Command Module was possible. President Kennedy’s goal of landing on the moon was achieved in five consecutive manned missions from October 1968 to July 1969. In 1965, President Kennedy commanded Gemini 7, which proved that astronauts could survive two weeks in zero gravity, the longest Apollo mission to the Moon. . His spacecraft was also the target vehicle for Gemini VI-A in the world’s first space rendezvous.
As we mourn his passing, the astronaut part of his career is well remembered, but few NASA astronauts have had so much experience in all aspects of aviation. . Bowman was a leading jet fighter pilot and test pilot like many of his compatriots, but he also became a leader in the aviation industry. Within six years of his retirement from NASA and the Air Force in 1970, he served as his CEO and chairman of the board of Eastern Airlines. He fought tirelessly to save the airline from a mountain of accumulated debt, even making it profitable for a time. He also worked as an aircraft modeler during his lifetime and was later recognized for his work by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. In later years, while living in New Mexico and Montana, he was an honored member of the warbird community. He painstakingly rebuilt and flew his P-63 King Cobra, a World War II fighter plane flown primarily by Soviet pilots through Lend-Lease. His aircraft won the Grand Champion His Warbird Award at the 1998 Oshkosh Air Show.
He will be remembered for a long time at the Museum’s Apollo 8 40th Anniversary event held at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. He, along with crew members Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, gave one of the most memorable eyewitness accounts of the heroic era of human spaceflight I’ve ever had. As a curator, I have had the privilege of witnessing many things. His Gemini VII spacecraft is featured in our new article. destination moon The gallery also features a huge mural of world-famous paintings. earthrise Photo taken by Anders on Apollo 8. His command module used in that mission is located in Chicago and is on loan to the Museum of Science and Industry. Frank Borman was a giant of the early manned space program and will not be forgotten anytime soon.
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October 12, 2023
moon rush
September 20, 2023
We rely on the generous support of our donors, sponsors, members, and other supporters to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. It depends. With your support, we can continue to preserve and protect the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.
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National Air and Space Museum
6th St. and Independence Ave. SW.
Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway