# @nasaartemis on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Brqn6O4gsJF
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/15343269-nasaartemis-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/cc0083b97e.jpg
- **Posted:** 2018-12-21T22:23:02.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** NASA Artemis (@nasaartemis) — https://gondola.cc/nasaartemis

## Caption

Fifty years ago on Dec. 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center at 7:51 a.m. EST. Frank Borman commanded the crew of the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission. James Lovell served as command module pilot and William Anders was the lunar module pilot. Apollo 8 was the first crewed Saturn V launch. Apollo 8 was supposed to be a test flight to simulate atmospheric re-entry from the Moon but never meant to go there. But then the Soviet Union successfully launched two successful uncrewed lunar missions — Zond 5 and 6 — and NASA's plans changed.  The rest, as they say, is history.
More info as always on NASA.gov! 
Credit: NASA

#nasa #nasahistory #apollo8 #apollo #saturnv #launch #capecanaveral #spacecoast

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 33,516
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- **Comments:** 110

## Tags

apollo, nasa, capecanaveral, launch, spacecoast, saturnv, nasahistory, apollo8

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