Apollo 8 was the spacecraft mission that carried the first humans to orbit the Moon in 1968.
Launched on December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 carried astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders. Its crew entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve and completed ten lunar orbits before returning to Earth.
The mission was a major milestone because it tested the Saturn V rocket and Apollo command-and-service module beyond low Earth orbit. The crew also photographed Earth rising above the lunar horizon, producing the famous “Earthrise” image.
Apollo 8 did not land on the Moon; Apollo 11 achieved the first crewed lunar landing seven months later. Apollo 7, by contrast, tested Apollo hardware in Earth orbit.