Apollo 8 was the first crewed Apollo mission to orbit the Moon.
Launched on 21 December 1968, Apollo 8 carried Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. The astronauts became the first humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit, the first to see the far side of the Moon directly, and the first to witness an Earthrise from lunar orbit. The mission entered lunar orbit on 24 December and completed ten orbits before returning to Earth.
Apollo 8 had originally been planned as a lower-orbit Earth test of the lunar module, but schedule and hardware changes led NASA to substitute a lunar-orbit mission. The lunar module was not ready, so the crew flew only the command and service module. This decision accelerated the Apollo program's preparations for a landing.
Apollo 7 was the first crewed Apollo flight, but it remained in Earth orbit. Apollo 9 tested the lunar module in Earth orbit, and Apollo 10 rehearsed a landing approach near the Moon. Apollo 8 therefore occupies a distinct place as the program's first crewed lunar-orbit mission.