Apollo 8
Apollo 8 was a manned mission of the Apollo space program. Apollo 8 was the first mission that carried humans beyond Earth orbit, and the first time anyone was closer to another celestial body than they were to Earth. After orbiting Earth, the spacecraft orbited the Moon and then returned safely.
- Launched: December 21, 1968 from Pad 39A
- Returned: December 27, 1968
- Crew members: Frank Borman, commander; Jim Lovell, command module pilot; William A. Anders, lunar module pilot
Mission notes:
- On Christmas morning, the crew read aloud the creation story from the book of Genesis; the reading was broadcast worldwide.
- Famous photos were taken of Earth rising over the surface of the Moon.
The command module is displayed at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois. No lunar module was used.
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