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40th Anniversary of Apollo 8 orbiting the moon

Friday, 19 December 2008 18:35
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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:

Sub-ClassType of RecordPerformanceDateClaimantStatusId
K-2 Greatest mass lifted to altitude 127 980 kg 1968-12-27 Frank Borman (USA) ratified - current record 2319
K-3 Duration of stay in orbit around a celestial body 20h 06mn 48s 1968-12-27 Frank Borman (USA) ratified - superseded since approved 2315
K-3 Duration of a complete mission to a celestial body with return 147h 00mn 42s 1968-12-27 Frank Borman (USA) ratified - superseded since approved 2316
K_Absolute Altitude 377 668 km 1968-12-27 Frank Borman (USA) ratified - superseded since approved 2317
K_Absolute Greatest mass lifted to altitude 127 980 kg 1968-12-27 Frank Borman (USA) ratified - current record 2318