Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Commander and USAF Pilot, Dies at 95 Nov. 12, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak Frank Borman, an Air Force fighter and test pilot and American astronaut who commanded Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, died Nov. 7 at 95. Apollo 8 made the first orbits of the moon by a human crew and took the famous "Earthrise" photo.