Apollo 8 Mission Overview

The Spacecraft

In order to carry out its mission, the Apollo 8 spacecraft required a fully functional command/service module. However, as no landing-related activities were included in the mission plan, a lunar module was not needed. Instead, a structural test article was installed in the spacecraft/launch vehicle adapter area of the Saturn V. This module, designated the lunar module test article B (LTA-B), provided a flight-load test and included instruments to measure acceleration forces.

Apollo 8 Spacecraft Description at NSSDC

The Crew

Frank Borman, Mission Commander

Frank Borman was born on March 14, 1928, in Gary, Indiana. He received a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy (1950), a master of science in aeronautical engineering from California Institute of Technology (1957), and was chosen with the second group of astronauts in 1962. He was back-up command pilot for Gemini 4, command pilot for Gemini 7, and commander of Apollo 8. In May 1969 he became Field Director of the Long-Term Space Station Program. He resigned from NASA and the Air Force on July 1, 1970.

James A. Lovell Jr., Command Module Pilot

James Lovell was born on March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio. He received his bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy (1952) and was chosen with the second group of astronauts in 1962. He was back-up pilot for Gemini 4, pilot of Gemini 7, back-up command pilot for Gemini 9, command pilot for Gemini 12, command module pilot of Apollo 8, back-up commander for Apollo 11, and commander of Apollo 13. In May 1971 he became Deputy Director of Science and Applications at the Johnson Space Center. He retired from NASA and the Navy in March 1973.

William A. Anders, Lunar Module Pilot

William Anders was born in Hong Kong on October 17, 1933. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and obtained a bachelor of science degree in 1955. In 1962, he received a master of science in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He was chosen with the third group of astronauts in 1963. He was the back-up pilot for Gemini 11, lunar module pilot for Apollo 8, and back-up command module pilot for Apollo 11. He resigned from NASA and the Air Force in September 1969.

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