Apollo 8 (Spacecraft)

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Apollo 8 was the second manned mission of the Apollo space program, in which Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders became the first humans to leave Earth orbit and to orbit around the Moon. It was also the first manned launch of the Saturn V rocket.

NASA prepared for the mission in only four months. The hardware involved had only been used a few times¿the Saturn V had launched only twice before, and the Apollo spacecraft had only just finished its first manned mission, Apollo 7. However, the success of the mission paved the way for the successful completion of John F. Kennedy's goal of landing on the Moon before the end of the decade.

After launching on December 21, 1968, the crew took three days to travel to the Moon, which they orbited for 20 hours. While in lunar orbit they made a Christmas Eve television broadcast in which the crew read from the book of Genesis. It had been the most watched broadcast to date.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn 15 Dirham Apollo 8 Crew Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 12 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 7 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 13 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Edward Purdy Ney Papers, 1941-1996 University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc]
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 6 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 9 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1903 - 2006. Sound Recordings Documenting the History of the American Space Flight Program. 1958 - 1975. Apollo 8 Mission Highlights
referencedIn 2 Riyal Apollo 8 Moon Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 5 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 11 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 16 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 15 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Autograph File, S, 1556-1996. Houghton Library
referencedIn Apollo 8 Lunar Mission National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 14 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 4 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 4 Riyal Apollo 8 Space Capsule Recovery Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 3 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 5 Dirham Apollo 8 Moon Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 20 Dirham Apollo 8 Orbit Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 10 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 5 Dirham Apollo 8 Rocket Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 3 Riyal Apollo 8 Moonwalk Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 Mission Commentary Number 2 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records Concerning International Public Affairs Activities for the Apollo Program, 1/1963 - 12/1973 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 10 Dirham Apollo 8 Rocket Commemorative Stamp National Archives at College Park
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Debrief: Apollo 8 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Apollo 8 - AS08-12-2044 through AS08-18-2908 National Archives at College Park
Relation Name
hasMember Aldrin, Buzz person
hasMember Anders, William Alison, 1933- person
hasMember Armstrong, Neil, 1930-2012 person
hasMember Borman, Frank, 1928 March 14- person
hasMember Collins, Michael, 1930- person
hasMember Lovell, Jim. person
associatedWith Ney, Edward Purdy, 1920- person
associatedWith United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Spacecraft
Space Exploration
Space vehicles
Occupation
Activity

Corporate Body

Active 1968-12-21

Active 1968-12-27

English

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