Apollo 8 Launches Toward the Moon
Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968, carrying Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders toward the Moon.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968, carrying Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders toward the Moon.
The Wider Story
It was the first crewed mission to travel beyond Earth orbit. The plan required lunar orbit insertion and a safe return trajectory.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The spacecraft reached lunar orbit on December 24.
Reading the Historical Record
No lunar module flew with this crew, and there was no landing on the mission.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a Saturn V launching Apollo 8 in daylight, then an illustrative command-service module in transit. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
Found an error? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards.