Crew:
    Frank Borman [2], Commander
    James A. Lovell, Jr. [3], Jr., CSM Pilot
    William A. Anders [1], LM Pilot

Backup Crew:
    Neil A. Armstrong, Commander
    Edwin E. Aldrin, CSM Pilot
    Fred W. Haise, LM Pilot

Launch:
    Pad: 39-A
    Date: 21 December 1968
    Time: 12:51:00 UTC

Landing:
    Location: Pacific Ocean (8° 7.5' N, 162° 1.2' W)
    Vessel: USS Yorktown (CVS-10)
    Date: 27 December 1968
    Time: 15:51:42 UTC

Mission Duration: 6 days, 3 hours, 0 minutes, 42 seconds

Went into a lunar orbit for 20 hours, completing 10 orbits of the moon. Lunar orbit was 312 km x 111 km. There was no Lunar Module on this mission.

This was the first time men had left the vicinity of Earth and ventured into deep space. On Christmas Eve 1968, the world listened as the crew of Apollo 8 sent their greetings to Earth. Even though they did not land on the lunar surface, Apollo 8 effectively ended the Soviet Zond program and the race to the moon.

The powerful Saturn V was used as a launch vehicle for the first time.

The Apollo 8 command module is on loan to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL, from the National Air and Space Museum.