"Roger, please be informed there is a Santa Claus." - Jim Lovell, Apollo 8
Fast Facts
Information:
1. Astronauts: Frank F. Borman II, James A. Lovell Jr., and William A. Anders2. This was the first successful manned mission to orbit the Moon and return to Earth.
3. The mission reached lunar orbit on christmas eve.
4. Apollo 8 took 3 days to reach the moon, with a total travel time of 7 days.
5. The flight had a period of 89 hours where Mission Control lost contact with Apollo 8.
6. Upon arriving back at Earth, the Apollo 8 crew experienced a "Splashdown", where they had to land their spacecraft in the ocean.
Significance:
1. Apollo 8 was the first mission to successfully orbit the moon and return.2. The Apollo 8 crew were the first crew to observe and photograph an Earthrise."
Crew:
Pictured Left to Right1. James Lovell (Command Module Pilot)
2. William Anders (Lunar Module Pilot)
3. Frank Borman II (Commander)
