Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Schirra Eisele Cunningham
⎯⎯⎯
Borman Lovell Anders
Launched: October 11, 1968 Splashdown: October 22, 1968
| | Launched: December 21, 1968 Splashdown: December 27, 1968 | |
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
1. Schirra Eisele Cunningham /
Borman Lovell Anders Marker
Borman Lovell Anders Marker
" A Merry Christmas and God bless all of you All of you On the good Earth."
With these good wishes, the crew of Apollo 8 signed off their Christmas Eve telecast from orbit around the Moon.
These successful flights came only months apart at the end of 1968. Together, they restored confidence in the Apollo program after the disastrous Apollo 1 fire. Apollo 7 is remembered for carrying the first three-man American crew into space. The mission was not designed to go to the moon—rather it orbited the Earth for eleven days, proving that the redesigned command module was worthy to serve the approaching lunar missions. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to escape Earth's gravitational field and orbit another heavenly body. The crew became the first humans to view the far side of the moon and to witness - and photograph - an Earthrise over the lunar horizon. Apollo 8 validated the Apollo program and its giant Saturn rocket. Just seven months later Apollo 11 would land on the Moon.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Exploration. A significant historical year for this entry is 1968.
Location. 34° 42.673′ N, 86° 39.341′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. It can be reached from Tranquility Base half a
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Grissom White Chaffee (here, next to this marker); McDivitt Scott Schweickart / Stafford Young Cernan (here, next to this marker); Armstrong Collins Aldrin (a few steps from this marker); Conrad Gordon Bean (a few steps from this marker); Lovell Swigert Haise (a few steps from this marker); Shepard Roosa Mitchell (a few steps from this marker); Scott Worden Irwin (a few steps from this marker); Young Mattingly Duke (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntsville.
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
2. Capt. James Lovell Footprint & Signature
Gemini 7; Gemini 12; Apollo 8; Apollo 13
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
3. Maj. Gen. Bill Anders Footprint & Signature
LM Pilot, Apollo 8
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
4. Apollo 7 - Schirra Eisele Cunningham
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
5. Apollo 8 - Borman Lovell Anders
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 895 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on July 17, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1. submitted on October 24, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 2, 3. submitted on October 27, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 4, 5. submitted on October 24, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
