At 9:32 a.m. EDT, Apollo 11, the first U.S. lunar landing mission,
was launched on a historic journey to the surface of the moon.
After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered into
a lunar orbit on July 19.
From left: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the Apollo 11 crew.
A launch pad fire during Apollo program tests at Cape Canaveral,
Florida, killed astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White
II, and Roger B. Chaffee. An investigation indicated that a faulty
electrical wire inside the Apollo 1 command module was the
probable cause of the fire. The astronauts, the first Americans
to die in a spacecraft, had been participating in a simulation of
the Apollo 1 launch scheduled for the following month.
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, returned safely to
Earth after an historic six-day journey.
On December 21, Apollo 8 was launched by a three-stage Saturn 5
rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and William Anders aboard. On Christmas Eve,
the astronauts entered into orbit around the moon, the first manned
spacecraft ever to do so. During Apollo 8‘s 10 lunar orbits, television images were sent back home and spectacular photos were taken of
the Earth and the moon from the spacecraft. In addition to being the
first human beings to view firsthand their home world in its entirety,
the three astronauts were also the first to see the far side of the
moon. On Christmas morning, Apollo 8 left its lunar orbit and
began its journey back to Earth, landing safely in the Pacific
Ocean.
Apollo 8 crew members from left to right: James A. Lovell Jr., William A. Anders, and Frank Borman.
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Frank
Borman, James Lovell, Jr. and William Anders aboard (above).
On Christmas Eve, the astronauts entered into orbit around the
moon, the first manned spacecraft ever to do so. During Apollo
8‘s 10 lunar orbits, television images were sent back home, and spectacular photos were taken of Earth and the moon from the spacecraft. In addition to being the first human beings to view
firsthand their home world in its entirety, the three astronauts
were also the first to see the far side of the moon.
The iconic "Earthrise" image taken by astronaut Bill Anders
on Apollo 8 on Christmas Eve 1968. Friday marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 liftoff.
TIM MAGUIRE
Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes first man to walk on the moon.
