Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first to reach the Moon, orbit it, and return safely to Earth. Launched on December 21, 1968, the mission was crewed by Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. It was the first time humans laid eyes on the far side of the Moon and the first time they witnessed 'Earthrise' from lunar orbit. The mission was a critical step toward the Apollo 11 lunar landing, testing the Saturn V rocket and the command and service module in deep space. On Christmas Eve, the crew broadcast a reading from the Book of Genesis to an estimated billion people on Earth, one of the most-watched television events in history. Apollo 8's success demonstrated that the United States was on track to fulfill President Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.