{"id":73993,"date":"2018-12-21T16:05:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-21T20:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-437929"},"modified":"2023-12-14T18:30:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T23:30:08","slug":"part-5-apollo-8-and-beyond-the-next-epoch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/apollo\/part-5-apollo-8-and-beyond-the-next-epoch\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 5: Apollo 8 and Beyond – The Next Epoch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/part-4-apollo-8-the-return\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Part 4: The Return<\/strong><\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/part-3-apollo-8-the-far-side\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 3: The Far Side<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/apollo-8-in-the-beginning-there-was-liftoff\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 2: In the Beginning There Was Liftoff<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/to-the-moon-and-back-apollo-8-and-the-future-of-lunar-exploration\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 1: To the Moon and Back<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1363\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"2010 lunar eclipse\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 34%; object-position: 50% 34%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg 2629w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=1536,1022 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=2048,1363 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=400,266 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=600,399 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=900,599 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=1200,799 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/lunar_eclipse_2010_0.jpg?resize=2000,1331 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">A nearly total lunar eclipse is seen as the full moon is shadowed by the Earth on the arrival of the winter solstice, Tuesday, December 21, 2010 in Arlington, VA.  From beginning to end, the eclipse will last about three hours and twenty-eight minutes.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Bill Ingalls<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Half a century ago, Apollo 8 ushered in a new era of space exploration. The missions that followed in close succession would herald these breakthroughs in science and in engineering prowess with drama and color. They would bring a cornucopia of knowledge about the Moon, the origins of our solar system, the nature of our universe, the history of our Earth and even the history of life. In addition to tangible, scientific assets gained from Apollo, the mission brought some degree of unification to a nation fractured by conflict at home and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flash forward 50 years, and humankind is still learning from these landmark missions, using the data gathered from the Moon and the instruments deployed there to plan our next grand endeavor: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/exploration\/systems\/orion\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Orion, which will travel to the Moon, to Mars and beyond<\/a>. For years we have mapped the Moon for future landing sites using missions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/ames\/missions\/archive\/lunarprospector.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Lunar Prospector<\/a> (1998) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO<\/a>. LRO has also preformed dozens of other experiments over its lifetime that will help NASA put humans back on Earth\u2019s large, gray-speckled satellite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The crew aboard Apollo 8 got the first close up view in history (67.4 nautical miles [108.5 kilometers] on nearest approach) of the lunar surface and took the highest quality photos available at the time. We have come a long way since then, building on our database of knowledge through new missions and revisiting old data from these original pioneers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Williams is a lunar scientist at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and works on a <a href=\"https:\/\/nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov\/planetary\/lunar\/lunar_data\/\" rel=\"noopener\">project<\/a> that aims to restore and investigate data from the Apollo program. \u201cThe only long-term data we have from the Moon is this data from Apollo,\u201d said Williams. \u201cNow, we can put it into a digital format and use modern computers to analyze it. When we go back and take a closer look at it, we are actually able to learn new things with this old data!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the Moon may be a beautiful object at which to gaze, it also holds secrets of Earth\u2019s development, as well as that of our solar system. Earth\u2019s atmosphere protects us from all manner of dangerous radiation, meteorites and other debris from space. The Moon does not have this buffer, and is instead directly affected by objects in deep space acting on its bare surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Moon is essentially a fossil,\u201d said Ernie Wright, a media specialist at Goddard Space Flight Center\u2019s Science Visualization Studio. \u201cAll of the geological history of the Earth that has been erased by weather or people is still present on the Moon. The Moon can tell us about the evolution of the Earth, what the Earth was originally made of, and how the chemistry of life has changed our planet\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Moonlight (Clair de Lune) updated 4K version\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6CXDrNyt-iM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This visualization attempts to capture the mood of Claude Debussy\u2019s best-known composition, Clair de Lune (moonlight in French). The piece was published in 1905 as the third of four movements in the composer\u2019s Suite Bergamasque, and unlike the other parts of this work, Clair is quiet, contemplative, and slightly melancholy, evoking the feeling of a solitary walk through a moonlit garden. Credits: NASA\u2019s Scientific Visualization Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe idea now, looking back on this data, is that we can look for things we\u2019ve never looked for before,\u201d said Williams. During the Apollo era, \u201cwe thought the Moon was dead, no water, no movement of dust. Now we find that the Moon is actually this dynamic system\u2026we\u2019re looking at the data differently.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As NASA turns its attention to putting human explorers on the Moon once again, both new and old data will be used to choose landing sites and to decide what new instruments the next generation of astronauts should carry with them. Apollo 8 and later missions could not make observations about the Moon\u2019s space environment or complex geology, a gap that LRO and missions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/LCROSS\/searchforwater\/clementine.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Clementine<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/ladee\/mission-overview\" rel=\"noopener\">LADEE<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/grail\/overview\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">GRAIL<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/themis\/mission\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">ARTEMIS<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/missions\/moon-mineralogy-mapper-m3\/\" rel=\"noopener\">M3<\/a> have been able to fill. The Moon is our nearest neighbor and therefore the first stepping stone to deep space exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tour of the Moon 4K Redux (Music Only)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/04YHphfmBEg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Take a virtual tour of the Moon in all-new 4K resolution, thanks to data provided by NASA\u2019s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center\/David Ladd and Ernie Wright.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can use the Moon as a practice ground before going further,\u201d said Wright. None of the Apollo missions observed the Moon\u2019s poles, areas that have prompted a growing curiosity among lunar scientists. \u201cWe think that the poles might have water,\u201d said Wright, \u201cso those could be possible future landing sites for the Orion missions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Comparing data from these satellites to photos from Apollo 8 and later missions, we can see where new craters have formed as a result of meteorite collisions. We can also see areas that are permanently illuminated by the sun\u2019s light and those in permanent shadow. \u201cIf we needed solar power during our next Moon landing,\u201d Wright said, \u201cwe would know where to put the arrays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scientists are studying our Earth-Moon system to better understand our home. But they also want to know how unique our situation is. Are there other systems like ours out there somewhere? Is a Moon somehow essential to the successful development of life on its parent planet? How could we learn to survive without a protective atmosphere like Earth\u2019s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Missions like LRO and its predecessors have done much of the preliminary work to begin finding answers to these questions, but the next phase is people, out there with human eyes and brains exploring our local neighborhood. Apollo 8 advanced this harrowing journey to the beyond. The mission splashed down after a six-day odyssey, but the broader campaign for exploration is just beginning. \u201cThere is a human spirit, there is a human need to get out there and explore,\u201d said Williams. \u201cAnd I just don\u2019t think we can deny that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related Links<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/to-the-moon-and-back-apollo-8-and-the-future-of-lunar-exploration\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 1: To the Moon and Back<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/apollo-8-in-the-beginning-there-was-liftoff\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 2: In the Beginning There Was Liftoff<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/part-3-apollo-8-the-far-side\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 3: The Far Side<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2018\/part-4-apollo-8-the-return\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 4: The Return<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Part 5: Apollo 8 and Beyond \u2013 The Next Epoch<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/apollo\/part-4-apollo-8-the-return\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1286\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1286&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1286&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=300&h=201&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=768&h=514&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=1024&h=686&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1029&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=400&h=268&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=600&h=402&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=900&h=603&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-53223\/S68-53223~large.jpg?w=1200&h=804&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">3 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Part 4: Apollo 8 – The Return<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5 years ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/apollo\/apollo-8-christmas-at-the-moon\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"234\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?resize=300,234 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?resize=768,600 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?resize=1024,800 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?resize=400,312 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?resize=600,469 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/apollo_8_earthrise_1968_as08-14-2383.jpg?resize=900,703 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">4 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Apollo 8: Christmas at the Moon<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 years ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-8-you-are-go-for-tli\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1379\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1379&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1379&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=300&h=215&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=768&h=552&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=1024&h=735&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1103&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=400&h=287&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=600&h=431&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=900&h=646&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56531\/S68-56531~large.jpg?w=1200&h=862&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">7 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">50 Years Ago: Apollo 8, You are Go for TLI!<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5 years ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part 4: The ReturnPart 3: The Far SidePart 2: In the Beginning There Was LiftoffPart 1: To the Moon and Back Half a century ago, Apollo 8 ushered in a new era of space exploration. The missions that followed in close succession would herald these breakthroughs in science and in engineering prowess with drama and [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":294277,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"254332","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":["73992","130213","168468"],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2713,2934],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[11010],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Part 5: Apollo 8 and Beyond – The Next Epoch","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/apollo\/part-5-apollo-8-and-beyond-the-next-epoch\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/apollo\/part-5-apollo-8-and-beyond-the-next-epoch\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/6973136\/6973136~large.jpg?w=1789&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/6973136\/6973136~large.jpg?w=1789&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rob Garner"}],"creator":["Rob Garner"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Apollo","Apollo 8"],"dateCreated":"2018-12-21T20:05:00Z","datePublished":"2018-12-21T20:05:00Z","dateModified":"2023-12-14T23:30:08Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Part 5: Apollo 8 and Beyond – The Next Epoch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/apollo\/part-5-apollo-8-and-beyond-the-next-epoch\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/6973136\/6973136~large.jpg?w=1789&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2018-12-21T20:05:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Apollo,Apollo 8\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Rob Garner\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":6,"time_ago":"5 years","featured_image":{"id":294277,"file":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/6973136\/6973136~large.jpg","title":"Saturn Apollo Program","alt":"","caption":"This is a photograph of the Apollo 8 Capsule being hoisted onto the recovery ship following splashdown on December 27, 1968. The first manned Apollo mission to escape Earth\u2019s gravity and travel to the lunar vicinity, the Saturn V, SA-503, Apollo 8 mission liftoff occurred seven days prior, on December 21, 1968. Aboard were astronauts William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) Pilot; James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Frank Borman, commander. The mission achieved operational experience and tested the Apollo command module systems, including communications, tracking, and life-support, in cis-lunar space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface, both far side and near side, obtaining information on topography and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary for future Apollo landings. All systems operated within allowable parameters and all objectives of the mission were achieved."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73993"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73993"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":580813,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73993\/revisions\/580813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73993"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=73993"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=73993"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=73993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}