Remembering the fallen
On this day in 1968 at 12:51:00 UTC, the Apollo 8 mission was launched. Frank F. Borman II, James A. Lovell Jr. William A. Anders were to travel to the moon and back, the first time humans had ever ventured away from planet earth and the pull of its gravity. Below is a photo of a NASA technician placing two inflight pens and a penlight in the spacesuit pocket of Borman, the Apollo 8 commander. The Saturn V rocket remains the tallest, heaviest, and most powerful rocket in terms of lifting power ever launched. It was on this flight that Anders took the stunning photo of “Earthrise”.
For me, much more than the Apollo 11 mission in the summer of the next year, the Apollo 8 mission was a milestone in human endeavor which has yet to be eclipsed.
