Apollo 8 lunar orbit
Apollo 8 · 1968 CE · The Moon
Orbit the Moon with a crew.
Historical context
In December 1968 three men became the first humans to leave Earth's gravity and see its far side. Their photographs of a small blue planet rising over the Moon reframed the whole enterprise.
The voyage, step by step
Leaving Earth
December 1968
Borman, Lovell and Anders become the first humans to leave Earth's gravity.
« You are go for TLI »
1968 CE
A five-minute burn of the third stage lifts the spacecraft out of Earth orbit toward the Moon.
Orbiting the Moon
1968 CE
They orbit ten times, losing radio contact each pass behind the far side.
Behind the Moon
1968 CE
For forty-five minutes of every orbit the crew is cut off from Earth and from any help at all.
Christmas Eve broadcast
1968 CE
On the ninth orbit the crew reads from Genesis to what is then the largest live audience in history.
Earthrise
1968 CE
Anders photographs the Earth rising over the Moon, an image that reframed the planet.
Outcome
Ten orbits and the first Earthrise photograph.
Apollo 8
First crewed mission to orbit the Moon, whose photographs of Earthrise changed how humanity saw its planet.
Sources
Continue exploring
- Apollo 11Neil Armstrong · 1969 CE
- Surveyor 3 landingSurveyor 3 · 1967 CE – 1969 CE
- Luna 16 sample returnLuna 16 · 1970 CE
- Luna 9 landingLuna 9 · 1966 CE