Apollo 8
First Moon orbit
Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit and travel to another celestial body.
In December 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders orbited the Moon ten times, transmitting the famous "Earthrise" photograph showing Earth rising over the lunar horizon.
The mission proved the technology needed for the Moon landing that followed the next year.
- NASAFederal space exploration bureau
- space raceContest for orbital superiority
- cold warHostility without open fighting
- moonNatural planetary satellite
- lunar orbitPath around Earth's satellite
astronaut · orbit · spacecraft · Earthrise · blue marble · Earth from space · Christmas · Christmas Eve · 1968 · lunar · capsule · Genesis · live broadcast · mission · space · rocket · Saturn V · command module
mission outcome/success
Apollo 8Apollo 1
Spacecraft destroyed by fire
Apollo 13 · Challenger · Columbia · catastrophic loss · Challenger disaster
- Apollo 11First manned lunar landing
- Apollo 13
- Apollo TheaterLegendary Harlem performance hall
- Apollo programUS moonshot initiative
- Apollo missionsNASA's lunar exploration program
- Apollo Creed