Apollo 8

(L) Frank Borman Commander (R) James A. Lovell Command Module Pilot (C) William A. Anders Lunar Module Pilot Crew Spaceflight Histories: Frank Borman*   Mission Dates Role Notes   Gemini VII December 4-18, 1965 Commander first space rendezvous w/ Gemini VI-A   Apollo 8 December 21-27, 1968 Commander     James A. Lovell, Jr.*   Mission Dates Role Notes   Gemini VII December 4-18, 1965 Pilot first space rendezvous w/ Gemini VI-A   Gemini XII November 11-15, 1966 Commander last Gemini mission   Apollo 8 December 21-27, 1968 Command Module Pilot   Apollo 13 April 11-17, 1970 Commander aborted lunar landing mission   William Anders   Mission Dates Role Notes   Apollo 8 December 21-27, 1968 Lunar Module Pilot     Apollo 8 Backup Crew: Neil A. Armstrong commander   Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. command module pilot   Fred W. Haise, Jr. lunar module pilot

Apollo 8 was launched from Cape Kennedy, Fla., at 7:50 a.m., EST, on December 21, 1968. Two hours 50 minutes later, translunar injection was performed; and astronauts Col. Frank Borman, the commander; Capt. James A. Lovell, Jr., the command module pilot; and Major William A. Anders, the lunar module pilot, were on their way to the Moon.

The Spacecraft was placed in an elliptical lunar orbit at 69 hours 8 minutes after liftoff. After flying two elliptical orbits of 168.5 by 60 nautical miles with an inclination of 12 degrees to the Equator, the spacecraft was placed in a nearly circular orbit of 59.7 by 60.7 nautical miles in which it remained for eight orbits. Images of the lunar surface were transmitted for live television broadcast on Earth.

(televised image of lunar surface pictured above)

At 89 hours 19 minutes, transearth injection was performed from behind the Moon. A nearly flawless mission was completed on the morning of December 27 when splashdown occurred in the Pacific Ocean after a total elapsed time of 147 hours. (CM recovery pictured at right)

The primary purpose of this mission was to further progress toward the goal of landing men on the Moon by gaining operational experience and testing the Apollo system. However, a great effort was also made to accomplish worthwhile scientific tasks with photography and visual information by the astronauts.

• A lunar module was not carried but a Lunar Test Article which is equivalent in weight to a lunar module was carried as ballast.
• The mission was the second flight in the Apollo program and the first manned flight on the Saturn V rocket. Saturn V launch vehicle with the Apollo spacecraft on top stood 363 feet (110 meters) tall.
• Launched from Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center and marked the first manned use of the Moonport.
• The five first-stage engines developed combined thrust of 7.5 million pounds at liftoff.
• First humans to journey to the Earth's Moon.
• First pictures of Earth from deep space taken by astronauts.
• New world speed record: 24,200 mph (38,938 km/hr).
• First live TV coverage of the lunar surface.