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
An Apollo 8 launch cover from "Heritage Crafts", postmarked at Kennedy Space Center with a machine cancel on December 21, 1968, signed 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.
An Apollo 8 launch cover featuring a printed "mission insignia" cachet and an "KSC Officials" cachet for Apollo 8, postmarked at Kennedy Space Center with a machine cancel on December 21, 1968, signed by James Lovell, William 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 launch cover from "Trans World Airlines (TWA)", postmarked at Kennedy Space Center with a machine cancel on December 21, 1968, signed by James Lovell. The cover comes 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.
An Apollo 8 launch cover from "Astro Covers", postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a hand cancel on December 21, 1968.
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.
An Apollo 8 launch cover from "Sarzin", postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 21, 1968.
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.
An Apollo 8 translunar cover from "Sarzin", postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 22, 1968.
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.
An Apollo 8 lunar orbit cover from “SpaceCraft Swanson”, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 24, 1968. The date marks a historic moment in space and television history: during Apollo 8’s fourth lunar orbit, the crew transmitted the first live television images of the lunar surface to viewers on Earth.
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.
An Apollo 8 lunar orbit cover from “Sarzin”, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 24, 1968.
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."
An Apollo 8 lunar orbit cover from "Space City Cover Society", postmarked at Houston, Texas with a machine cancel on December 24, 1968, signed by Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders. - RegencyStamps
Photo: "Earthrise," captured by William Anders on December 24, 1968. Signed by William Anders.
An Apollo 8 Earthrise cover from “Astro Covers”, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a hand cancel on December 24, 1968.
An Apollo 8 Earthrise cover from “Astro Covers”, postmarked at Pasadena, California, with a machine cancel on December 24, 1968.
An Apollo 8 lunar orbit cover from “Sarzin”, featuring the first live television broadcast from lunar orbit, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel 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.
An Apollo 8 flight return cover from “Sarzin”, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 25, 1968.
Photo: Crater Langrenus captured by Apollo 8 from an altitude of 150 miles.
An Apollo 8 flight return cover from "Robert B. Whitney" featuring a purple rubber-stamped cachet, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 26, 1968.
Photo: The Apollo 8 capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 27, 1968.
An Apollo 8 splashdown cover from “Astro Covers”, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a hand cancel on December 27, 1968.
An Apollo 8 splashdown cover from “Sarzin”, postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on December 27, 1968.
Photo: The Apollo 8 crew on board the recovery ship USS Yorktown.
An Apollo 8 recovery cover with a printed “Morris Beck B770” cachet, postmarked aboard USS Yorktown with a machine cancel on December 27, 1968.
Photo: The Apollo 8 spacecraft being lifted from the surface of the Pacific Ocean to the deck of the USS Yorktown.
An Apollo 8 recovery cover featuring a magenta "Morris Beck" rubber-stamped cachet, postmarked aboard USS Yorktown with a scarce hand cancel on December 27, 1968.
An Apollo 8 recovery cover featuring a magenta "Morris Beck" rubber-stamped cachet, postmarked aboard USS Yorktown with a scarce hand cancel on December 27, 1968, 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.
An Apollo 8 recovery cover featuring a magenta "U.S. NAVY RECOVERY FORCE" rubber-stamped cachet, postmarked at Kunia, Hawaii with a hand cancel on December 27, 1968. 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 associated with the Apollo 8 recovery mission, postmarked aboard the USS Yorktown upon its return to port with a machine cancel 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
