Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Iwo Jima after safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Apollo 13 was termed a "successful failure," because the crew survived even though they did not accomplish its original objective of landing on the moon. Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, but an oxygen tank in the Service Module had exploded around 56 hours into the mission, as a result of a series of mismatched modifications and unfortunate testing, causing the mission and the astronauts being put in jeopardy. The Moon landing did not happen, but the astronauts landed safely in the Pacific Ocean on April 17.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Apollo 8 was the first manned launch of a Saturn V booster and mission to leave Earth orbit. It launched from John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida, on December 21, 1968, with Lovell, Commander Frank Borman (1928-), and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders (1933-). Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, reach the Moon, and orbit and return safely to Earth. The crew became the first humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit, to see Earth as a whole planet, to directly see the far side of the Moon, and to witness Earthrise.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Apollo 11 was the first space mission where humans set foot on another celestial body, the Moon. Launched from Launch Pad 39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida, on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 fired the third stage engines two and half hours after launch to leave Earth's gravitational pull. The mission was highlighted by the first lunar landing by human beings and Armstrong's descent from the Lunar Module (LM) to place his foot on the surface of the Moon. He and Aldrin spent less than 22 hours on the Moon, including two and half hours outside Eagle, their Lunar Module. The crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1969.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Florida Space Coast History Project and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Yorktown in the Pacific Ocean. Photographed from left to right are Jim Lovell (1928-), Frank Borman (1928-), and William Anders (1933-), who had just completed the first mission orbiting the Moon. Apollo 8 was the first manned launch of a Saturn V booster and mission to leave Earth orbit. It launched on December 21, 1968, with Commander Borman, Command Module Pilot Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot Anders. Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, reach the Moon, and orbit and return safely to Earth. The crew became the first humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit, to see Earth as a whole planet, to directly see the far side of the Moon, and to witness Earthrise.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Florida Space Coast History Project and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Florida Space Coast History Project and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>