The Space Race was a technological competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in demonstrating superiority in aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites launches, robotic space probes to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and ultimately landing on the Moon. This blog features my collection of US and Soviet Union space events on covers and press photos.
1968-12-21 USA Apollo 8
A cover from "Heritage Crafts," signed by the Apollo 8 crew, features a Kennedy Space Center machine cancellation dated December 21, 1968, marking the launch date of the first manned flight to the Moon, autographed by Frank Borman, Bill Anders and James Lovell. - RegencyStamps
Apollo 8 was the first human spaceflight to the Moon. The first astronauts to orbit the Moon launched from Cape Kennedy aboard a massive Saturn V rocket on December 21, 1968. Frank Borman, James A. Lovell Jr., and William A. Anders became the first humans to travel beyond Earth’s orbit to another celestial body, serving as a preparatory mission for a future lunar landing.
Photo: The crew of the Apollo 8 moon mission, consisting of Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders (left to right).
Photo: Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders displayed their Apollo insignia during a news conference on December 7, 1968.
Apollo 8 commemorative cover featuring a printed cachet of the mission insignia and an official NASA cachet, postmarked at Kennedy Space Center on the mission's launch day. Signed by James Lovell, William A. Anders, and Frank Borman. - RRAuction
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew in a practice flight at a simulator.
Photo: An illustration of the trajectory of Apollo 8.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew having breakfast prior to their historic flight on December 21, 1968.
An Apollo 8 commemorative cover, issued by Trans World Airlines, Inc. (TWA), was given to an employee along with a letter.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew dressed in their space suits in preparation for the launch.
Photo: (Left) The Apollo 8 crew walks down the hallway in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building towards the van that will take them to the launch complex. (Right) The Saturn V rocket lifts off with the Apollo 8 crew aboard.
Photo: Personnel in the Recovery Coordinators room at the Manned Spacecraft Center monitor the Apollo 8 flight shortly after its launch.
Shortly after liftoff, the Saturn V's second stage ignited, followed by the third stage a few minutes later, placing Apollo 8 into Earth orbit. After completing nearly two orbits, the Saturn's third stage reignited, propelling the spacecraft onto a translunar trajectory at an initial speed of over 24,000 miles (38,000 km) per hour.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew captured this image of Earth shortly after the spacecraft initiated the translunar phase of its lunar orbit mission.
During the journey to the Moon, the astronauts transmitted live pictures of the spacecraft's interior, as well as images of Earth and the Moon, through several telecasts from Apollo 8.
Photo: A television broadcast from the Apollo 8 spacecraft as the crew travels toward the Moon.
Photo: A picture of the full moon captured by Apollo 8.
The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, approximately 69 hours after launch. The astronauts described the lunar surface as they observed it from just 70 miles away. That evening, while in lunar orbit, the crew made a live television broadcast, taking turns reading the first ten verses from the Book of Genesis. They timed this reading to coincide with the view of Earth rising above the barren lunar horizon, making it the most-watched broadcast in history at that time.
The first live television images from the lunar surface. The cover is postmarked at Cape Canaveral on December 24, 1968.
Photo: This image shows how the Moon looked to viewers on Earth as Apollo 8 transmitted its first images of the eastern region of the lunar near side during its orbit. The spacecraft was flying at an altitude of 165 to 170 miles above the lunar surface when these pictures were taken, clearly revealing visible surface craters.
Photo: A view of the Moon from an altitude of 69 miles. Frank Borman remarked that the Moon "certainly would not appear to be a very inviting place to live or work."
Apollo 8 First Manned Lunar Orbit cover from the Space City Cover Society, postmarked in Houston on December 24, 1968, and signed by Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. - RegencyStamps
Photo: "Earthrise," captured by William Anders on December 24, 1968. Signed by William Anders.
A cover featuring the first live television broadcast from lunar orbit, postmarked at Cape Canaveral on December 24, 1968.
Photo: While on their ninth orbit around the Moon, astronauts Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman recited verses 1 through 10 of the creation story from the book of Genesis in the King James Bible. Anders read verses 1 to 4, Lovell read verses 5 to 8, and Borman concluded with verses 9 and 10.
The Apollo 8 crew commenced their return journey on Christmas morning after completing 10 orbits around the Moon and successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 27. The astronauts, in high spirits and good health, stepped onto the deck of the USS Yorktown about an hour and a quarter after their splashdown.
Photo: Crater Langrenus captured by Apollo 8 from an altitude of 150 miles.
Photo: The Apollo 8 capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 27, 1968.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew on board the recovery ship USS Yorktown.
Beck printed cachet cover B770 signed by James Lovell and Frank Borman.
Photo: The Apollo 8 spacecraft being lifted from the surface of the Pacific Ocean to the deck of the USS Yorktown.
The USS Yorktown hand cancel is rare on the Apollo 8 recovery ship cover. (Below) A cover postmarked with a USS Yorktown hand cancel, signed by Richard Korth and his wife, Helbe Korth. Richard Korth participated in the Apollo 8 recovery operation aboard the USS Yorktown.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew—James A. Lovell Jr., William A. Anders, and Frank Borman—examined the spacecraft after it was retrieved from the Pacific Ocean.
Photo: James Lovell reads a message of congratulations aboard the USS Yorktown carrier.
The Apollo 8 recovery operations were managed from the Recovery Operations Control Room within the Mission Control Center, with support from the Pacific Recovery Control Center in Kunia, Hawaii.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew displayed a cheerful demeanor during their debriefing at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston on December 31, 1968.
A cover from the Apollo 8 recovery ship USS Yorktown, postmarked on its return to port on January 9, 1969.
Photo: (Top) James Lovell presents the "Earthrise" photograph to President Johnson on January 9, 1969. (Bottom) President Johnson salutes the Apollo 8 astronauts as they depart the White House for a parade to the Capitol.
Photo: William Anders responds to questions about their journey around the Moon during a news conference at the State Department.
Photo: On February 13, 1969, Frank Borman presented the "Earthrise" photo to Rome’s Mayor, Rinaldo Santini, saying, "I'm giving you a picture of Rome."
The Flight of Apollo 8
Earthrise: The Story of the Photo that Changed the World
