Apollo 8 Orbits the Moon
Apollo 8 became the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon, and astronauts read from Genesis on Christmas Eve
December 21, 1968
Leaving Earth Behind
On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders on the first crewed mission to leave Earth's gravitational influence and travel to the Moon. The mission was launched ahead of schedule — NASA moved it up to beat the Soviet Union, which was believed to be planning a similar mission. Apollo 8 did not land on the Moon; its goal was to orbit it, test navigation systems, and confirm that human beings could travel to lunar orbit and return safely. The mission accomplished all of this and much more.
Christmas Eve from Lunar Orbit
On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, the three astronauts conducted a live television broadcast from lunar orbit — the most watched television program in history at that time. They showed viewers the Earth and Moon from 240,000 miles away. Then, as they orbited the Moon, each astronaut read a passage from the opening of Genesis: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..." The broadcast, seen by an estimated one billion people, was one of the most powerful moments in the history of space exploration. William Anders also took the famous "Earthrise" photograph — an image of Earth rising over the lunar horizon that became one of the most influential photographs ever taken.
The Earthrise Moment
The "Earthrise" photograph showed Earth as a small, fragile, beautiful blue sphere hanging in the blackness of space. For many people, seeing the planet from that distance for the first time changed how they thought about home, environment, and human unity. Environmentalists credit the image with helping spark the modern environmental movement — the first Earth Day was held just 16 months after Apollo 8. The mission proved the Moon was reachable and set the stage for the Apollo 11 landing seven months later. It remains one of the most significant moments in human exploration.