This changed Apollo’s orbit from a nearly circular one to an ... The end result is that Apollo’s trajectory looked like a figure 8! Now, sticklers will point out that only Apollo 13 actually ...

In deep space, out of contact with ground control, the three astronauts were alone with their thoughts as Apollo 8 entered lunar orbit ... on us and trying to figure out something that was ...

Before Apollo 8, no human had ever left Earth ... Their mission was to fly a figure 8 pattern out to the moon, orbit it 10 times and return safely home. But safety and success were not certain.

Fifty years on, the Apollo Moon programme is probably still humankind's single greatest technological achievement. On 16 July 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were ...

He did not go into space until Dec. 21, 1968, when Apollo 8 lifted off on the first crewed mission to leave Earth orbit and travel ... hope "that when we finally figure out how to go to Mars ...

And another bonus was that entering the Moon’s orbit from the leading edge side demanded less fuel — again keeping consumables down. The end result is that Apollo’s trajectory looked like a figure 8!

On 16 July 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were strapped into their Apollo spacecraft on top of the vast Saturn V rocket and were propelled into orbit in just over ...