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40th Anniversary of Apollo 8 orbiting the moon

December 21 marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8 and its successful mission to orbit the moon. This flight paved the way for the first human landing on the moon by the astronauts of Apollo 11, on July 21 1969.

During the Apollo 8 flight, crewmembers Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became not only the first humans to orbit another celestial body, but also the first to witness the 'Earthrise' as the Earth came into view from behind the moon. This spectacular sight was caught on camera and has become one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century.

The flight successfully claimed 5 FAI World records. You can read the details of these records on the FAI website:

 
'Earthrise' courtesy of NASA images'Earthrise' courtesy of NASA images

Submitted by rh on Fri, 19/12/2008 - 11:35.|