Apollo 8 Becomes First Manned Mission to Moon

On December 21, 1968, NASA's Apollo 8 mission made history as the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon, carrying astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. The crew successfully entered lunar orbit after firing their engine and transmitted the first live images of the Moon's surface back to Earth, with Lovell describing it as 'essentially grey'. They spent approximately 20 hours in orbit, during which Anders captured the iconic 'Earthrise' photograph, showcasing Earth from space for the first time. The mission concluded with a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on December 27, returning the astronauts as national heroes. Apollo 8's achievements were pivotal in advancing human space exploration, setting the stage for subsequent lunar missions.