Apollo 8 on Launch Pad 39A

Apollo 8 on Launch Pad 39A

Apollo 8

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center

Merritt Island (Fla.)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)

NASA

Apollo Project (U.S.)

Project Apollo (U.S.)

Apollo 8 (Spacecraft)

Apollo 8 (AS-503) on Launch Pad 39A of John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida. 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 Frank Borman (1928-), Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell (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. In this photograph, the spacecraft sits on the mobile launcher weeks before liftoff.

Original color photographic print, December 8, 1968: Leonard Pugh Collection.

1968-12-08

Digital reproduction of original color photographic print, December 8, 1968.

Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

image/jpg

69.3 KB

1 color photographic print

eng

Still Image

John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Civics/Government Teacher

Copyright to this resource is held by Florida Space Coast History Project and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Michlowitz, Robert

Cepero, Laura

"APOLLO 8 (AS-503)." Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Accessed June 26, 2015. http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/apollo/apollo-program/orbital-missions/apollo8.cfm.

1 color photographic print