Apollo 8 (1968): First Crewed Lunar Orbit Mission

1. Apollo 1 fire forces major safety redesigns

   Jan 27, 1967Labels: Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee

   • NASA NSSDC
   • Smithsonian

2. Apollo 7 validates the crewed Command Module

   Oct 11, 1968Labels: Apollo 7, Command Module

   • NASA
   • Planetary

3. NASA approves Apollo 8 as a lunar-orbit mission

   Nov 11, 1968Labels: NASA, Apollo 8

   • NASA Memo
   • NASA

4. Apollo 8 launches on first crewed Saturn V

   Dec 21, 1968Labels: Saturn V, Frank Borman

   • NASA NSSDC
   • NASA Moon

5. Translunar injection sends Apollo 8 to the Moon

   Dec 21, 1968Labels: Translunar injection, Apollo 8

   • NASA Memo
   • ApolloProject

6. Apollo 8 enters lunar orbit

   Dec 24, 1968Labels: Lunar orbit, Apollo 8

   • NASA
   • NASA

7. Astronauts observe and photograph the Moon’s far side

   Dec 24, 1968Labels: Moon far, Apollo crew

   • NASA
   • NASA Moon

8. “Earthrise” photograph captured from lunar orbit

   Dec 24, 1968Labels: Earthrise photograph, Bill Anders

   • NASA
   • Wikimedia

9. Christmas Eve TV broadcast includes Genesis reading

   Dec 24, 1968Labels: Christmas Eve, Genesis reading

   • NASA
   • NASA

10. Trans-Earth injection begins the journey home

    Dec 25, 1968Labels: Trans-Earth injection, Service Module

    • NASA
    • NASA Memo

11. Apollo 8 splashes down and is recovered by USS Yorktown

    Dec 27, 1968Labels: Splashdown, USS Yorktown

    • NASA
    • NASA NSSDC

12. Apollo 8 becomes a turning point toward Apollo 11

    Dec 27, 1968Labels: Apollo 8, Apollo 11

    • NASA Moon
    • NASA