The success of the Apollo 8 mission in December of 1968 was a triumph that the nation and the world could appreciate.
The astronauts of Apollo 8 were the first men to see the far side of the moon with their own eyes.
One of the most famous photographs in history was taken by Bill Anders from Apollo 8.
From Earth orbit to lunar orbit, these are the missions of the Apollo program.
The Apollo project required a number of advanced achievements before a lunar landing was feasible.
Most Americans united in support of NASA's work against a common threat: Soviet domination of space.
NASA had always been managed from Langley Field near Washington, D.C. But the moon landing President John Kennedy envisioned required a huge expansion that was not possible at Langley.
While the three astronauts of Apollo 8 rocketed to the moon, hundreds of workers made sure they arrived at their destination and returned safely.
The women who married fighter pilots or test pilots understood that their lives could be shattered in an instant.Â
The decision to send a manned mission to orbit the moon in 1968 was a risky plan.
The broadcasts from Apollo 8Â invited huge television audiences onboard the spacecraft.
They were not reckless, but understood the risks involved in their profession and worked to minimize those risks to an acceptable standard.
