Historic Anniversary

Forty years ago this week, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William (Bill) Anders became the first humans to orbit another celestial body Apollo 8.  From December 21 – 27 1968, these three men made a trip no other human had ever taken before.  They, for six days, embodied the the very essence of NASA’s existence. Their mission was the simultaneously the culmination of over seven years of American manned space flight, and the starting point for the future Apollo missions. While many of us on OpenNasa might not have been alive to witness this flight first hand, I doubt there are many here who would doubt the significance this flight played in shaping the NASA, and the world, we know today. It was this flight that brought us the first live images of a rising earth over the lunar horizon.

The Apollo missions helped pave the way for studying long-duration space flight, which brought about Mir, Skylab and the ISS. Each of these programs has roots in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo eras. As we take this time to take a much-needed break to visit with friends and family, think about what this year has held for you, what you’ve learned and accomplished, and take the time to imagine what people will be saying about what we’ve done for the space program 40 years from now.