Even before the astronauts had returned to their home world, the impact of that leap was being felt. The day they spent circling the moon was Christmas Eve, and for many, that added to the wonder of the event, especially when the astronauts read the first 10 verses of Genesis during a live telecast from lunar orbit that night. For the first time in the history of exploration, millions of people witnessed the event as it unfolded. And for NASA, Apollo 8 turned out to be the mission that won the space race with the Soviet Union: Although seven months remained before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would walk on its surface, Apollo 8 had cleared the way for that next "giant leap for mankind."
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3 Comments
Add Comment"Beer" planning: what will those crazies at NASA think of next? Maybe with a little more beer they'd get off their butts and get us to Mars or Europa.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA beautiful photo that inspired many to love the Earth.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll of us except the blind of the heart peering down on that little blue sphere,the rich,poor,young,old,strong,weak,and of every race,could see or was told just how fragile the atmosphere,and the rest of the planet was. And for the first time in history all of mankind was one,and even if we still don't know it.Hopefully someday we will.
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