The Apollo 8 reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

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:

• 

  Earth as seen from Apollo 8, December 22, 1968 (NASA)

  photos were taken of Earth throughout the trip.
• On Christmas morning, the crew read aloud the creation story from the book of Genesis; the reading was broadcast worldwide.

The command module is displayed at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois. No lunar module was used.

Preceded by : Apollo 7

Apollo program

Followed by : Apollo 9

External Link

• Apollo 8 entry in Encyclopedia Astronautica

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