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National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSaturn VLaunch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Apollo 8
Launched
December 21, 1968
Summary
Apollo 8 launched on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Saturn V from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on December 21, 1968. It was National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 97th launch, 7th this year and humanity's 918th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Saturn V flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Apollo 8, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 222 × 544,363 km orbit inclined 30.7°. 3 crew members flew: Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders. The spacecraft was Apollo CSM-103 (CSM-103). 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Apollo 8 - The Launch (Full Mission 01)lunarmodule5
- Apollo 8 Launchugowar
- High Quality - Apollo 8 Saturn V rocket launchSukor Abdul
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Saturn V flight · 2nd this yearNational Aeronautics and Space Administration's 97th launch7th this yearhumanity's 918th orbital launch attempt130th orbital launch attempt this year
Crew
Frank BormanCommander · NASA · age 40 · 2nd flight
Jim LovellCommand Module Pilot · NASA · age 40 · 3rd flight
William AndersLunar Module Pilot · NASA · age 35 · first flight
Spacecraft
Apollo CSM-103 (CSM-103)
CSM-103 was an Apollo Command & Service Module used in the Apollo 8 mission.
- Destination: Moon Orbit
- Mission length: 6 days 3 hours
The Apollo spacecraft successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Apollo 8 · NORAD 3626 · 1968-118 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- APOLLO 8
- Object ID
- 1968-118A
- Epoch
- 1968-12-21 15:46:54 UTC
- Mean motion
- 0.05901781 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.9763415
- Inclination
- 30.7142°
- Ascending node
- 141.9251°
- Arg. of perigee
- 29.5976°
- Mean anomaly
- 0.0393°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage
- Apollo 8 · NORAD 3626 · left Earth orbit December 23, 1968
Saturn S-IVB-503N · left Earth orbit December 23, 1968
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Apollo 8 was the first flight of the mighty Saturn V launch vehicle key to human exploration of the moon. The three-astronaut crew — Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders. This Mission was the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon.
Pad
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
3rd launch from Launch Complex 39A, 2nd this year · 3rd from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
261 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Apollo 8 launch?
Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Apollo 8?
Coverage: Apollo 8 - The Launch (Full Mission 01); Apollo 8 Launch; High Quality - Apollo 8 Saturn V rocket launch. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Apollo 8?
Saturn V, flown by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Saturn V spec sheet
Where did Apollo 8 launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
What orbit did Apollo 8 reach?
Apollo 8, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 222 × 544,363 km orbit inclined 30.7°.
Which program is Apollo 8 part of?
Apollo. About Apollo