Frank Frederick Borman
(Col, USAF, Ret.)
(1928 – )
Missions: Gemini 7, Apollo 8
Time in Space: 477 hours, 35 minutes
NASA astronaut Frank Frederick Borman, Jr., was born on March 14, 1928, in Gary, Indiana. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, subsequently serving as a fighter pilot with the United States Air Force. In 1957, Borman earned his Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He taught at West Point until 1960, when he began working as a test pilot for the Aerospace Research Pilot School in California.
Borman began his career with NASA in September 1962 when he was selected to join the second group of astronauts, also known as the New Nine. He flew two space missions: as Command Pilot for Gemini 7 in December 1965—the passive target for the first manned space rendezvous—and as Commander of Apollo 8 in December 1968, the first manned lunar-orbital mission. In 1967, Borman also served as the only astronaut on the Apollo 204 Review Board, which investigated the cause of the deadly Apollo 1 fire and recommended corrective measures. In total, Borman logged 477 hours and 35 minutes in space.
Borman retired from NASA and the Air Force in 1970 to become an executive at Eastern Airlines. He retired from Eastern in 1986 after the company was sold to Texas Air Corporation.
