Jul 11

Space Rocket History #262 – Apollo 13 – Commander Jim Lovell

Lovell completed four space flights and is one of only three men to travel to the Moon twice. Lovell accrued over 715 hours spent in space, and he saw a total of 269 sunrises from space on his Gemini and Apollo flights.

1966 photo of Jim Lovell posing with Gemini-Titan model

Jim Lovell at the Command Module Guidance and Navigation station during the Apollo 8 mission

Lovell in front of the launch pad before the Apollo 13 mission

Aug 03

Space Rocket History #171 – Apollo 8 – The Reaction

New York City welcomed the Apollo 8 crew with a ticker-tape parade on the 10th of January, Newark hailed them on the 11th, and Miami greeted them on the 12th during the Super Bowl game. The Astronauts returned to Houston on the 13th for a hometown parade. Incoming President Richard M. Nixon sent Borman and his family on an eight-nation goodwill tour of western Europe. Everywhere they went, the astronauts depicted the earth as a spaceship and stressed international cooperation in space.

Borman, Anders, Lovell, on the flight deck of the carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, recovery ship Dec. 27, 1968.

Borman, Anders, Lovell, on the flight deck of the carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, recovery ship Dec. 27, 1968.

Lovell, Borman, and Anders (left to right) - back on the earth after their Apollo 8 mission, tell what they saw

Lovell, Borman, and Anders (left to right) – back on the earth after their Apollo 8 mission, tell what they saw

The Crew of Apollo 8 on the cover of Time Magazine

The Crew of Apollo 8 on the cover of Time Magazine

Jul 27

Space Rocket History #170 – Apollo 8 – The Voyage Home

Even a perfect reentry would subject the Apollo 8 command module to extreme stress.  With Gemini, the capsule re-entered from Earth orbit, but Apollo 8 would re-enter at approximated 25,000 miles per hour.  The forces of heat and deceleration would be much greater.

Kraft, Gilruth, and Trimble in Mission Control

Kraft, Gilruth, and Trimble in Mission Control

Carr, Slayton, Armstrong (seated), Schmitt & Aldrin (standing) compare Lunar Orbiter photos with Apollo 8 TV pics

Carr, Slayton, Armstrong (seated), Schmitt & Aldrin (standing) compare Lunar Orbiter photos with Apollo 8 TV pics

Apollo 8 splashdown

Apollo 8 splashdown

Jul 20

Space Rocket History #169 – Apollo 8 – Christmas 1968

Bill Anders:
“We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.”
“‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
‘And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
‘And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
‘And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.'”
Jim Lovell:
“‘And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
‘And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
‘And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
‘And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.’”
Frank Borman:
“‘And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
‘And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.'”
“And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.”

By T. Rednour. Tumbler Blog missionstepstothemoon.

By T. Rednour. Tumbler Blog missionstepstothemoon.

Apollo 8 Christmas Eve

Apollo 8 Christmas Eve

Apollo 8 Christmas Eve around the Moon

Apollo 8 Christmas Eve around the Moon