Frank Borman had little interest in the moon.
The iconic NASA astronaut, a crucial part of the agency’s Apollo program, confessed in his later years that his motivation was not driven by the glitz of space exploration. Instead, he had a distinct yet ambitious goal: to establish himself as a unique American hero.
He candidly remarked in a 2018 interview with the radio show This American Life, “I wanted to participate in this American adventure of beating the Soviets. But that’s the only thing that motivated me – beat the damn Russians.”
Indeed, the unassuming Borman led the first manned mission around the moon, Apollo 8, in 1968, a crucial milestone in the United States’ quest to be the first to send astronauts to the moon’s surface. Astronauts landed the following summer, marking a monumental Cold War triumph.
And he wasn’t kidding. Once the United States accomplished its lunar mission in 1969, securing the first space race victory (ushering in a new lunar competition), Borman promptly resigned, even though he would likely have commanded future moon missions.
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Journalist David Kestenbaum, captivated by Borman’s straightforwardness, once asked if he was “the best person or the worst person to have gone to the moon, in terms of describing what it’s like.” To which Borman humbly replied, “I’m probably the worst.”
NASA announced Borman’s passing on November 7, 2023, in Billings, Montana, at the age of 95. Even in his nineties, he managed to pilot a historic military aircraft.
The Apollo 8 crew in training at the Flight Acceleration Facility. Borman is on the right.
Credit: NASA
Borman was destined for spaceflight greatness. “Frank began his career as an officer with the U.S. Air Force. His love of flying proved crucial through his positions as a fighter pilot, operational pilot, test pilot, and assistant professor,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “His exceptional experience and expertise led him to be chosen by NASA to join the second group of astronauts.”
But with the passing of time, Borman, like the other Apollo legends, never wavered in his decision to decline an invitation to return to the moon and lead a mission to its surface. He could have explored an extraterrestrial world, been viewed globally, and graced magazine covers, but as he stated, “I would have not accepted the risk involved to go pick up rocks. It doesn’t mean that much to me.”
Despite his indifference to the moon, his circumlunar voyage meant the world to the inhabitants of Earth. His Apollo 8 crew, along with James Lovell and William A. Anders, captured the iconic “Earthrise” photo while orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve in 1968. (Anders took the actual photo.) Before the photo was captured, Borman quipped, “Don’t take that, it’s not scheduled.”
The iconic “Earthrise” photo captured by NASA’s Apollo 8 crew.
Credit: NASA
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Despite his disinterest in the moon, it was the distant marble of Earth and the lives on it that deeply affected him. Even after surviving a fiery 24,696 mph descent through Earth’s atmosphere and safely landing, he didn’t feel compelled to share the extraordinary experiences with his family upon his return. “It was a wonderful time of reunion and emotion, and the last thing from my mind was to tell them what the moon looked like,” Borman said.
Thank you, Frank, for your candor, originality, and, of course, for winning.
