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What Was on the Menu for the First Christmas in Space?
November 30, 2018
Fifty years ago, Apollo 8 became the first manned craft to orbit the moon. But the Apollo 8 astronauts have another distinction, as well. They were the first to celebrate Christmas in space. Apollo 8 launched on Dec. 2, 1968 for a six-day mission. The spacecraft would leave the Earth's orbit, then circle the Moon, before safely returning to Earth. During their mission, the crew took this famous photo of a so-called "Earthrise." It was a view of home that no one had ever seen before.