Merry Christmas From Apollo 8

In honor of the Christmas season, I’d like to share the story of Apollo 8—a mission that offered humanity a new perspective on our planet.

On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched during a tragic and tumultuous time on Earth. It was the first mission to escape Earth’s gravitational pull, orbit the moon, and return home safely. 

Apollo 8 crew. From left: Commander Frank Borman, Lunar Module Pilot William Anders, and Command Module Pilot James Lovell.

 

The mission gave humanity an unprecedented gift: the chance to see Earth in its entirety. On December 24, while orbiting the moon, William Anders captured the iconic “Earthrise” photograph—a stunning image of Earth rising above the lunar surface. The photo would inspire the global environmental movement, leading to the first Earth Day just over a year later.

 

Earthrise - photograph by William Anders on December 24, 1968

 

Apollo 8 entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, and that evening, the three astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders broadcast a televised message from space. It became the most-watched TV program of its time.

Borman recalled at a 40th anniversary event in 2008:

“We were told that on Christmas Eve we would have the largest audience that had ever listened to a human voice, And the only instructions that we got from NASA was to do something appropriate.”

Recognizing the weight of the moment and their view of the Earth “as a whole,” the astronauts chose to share a Christmas message with the world. They read from the book of Genesis. Though drawn from a specific religious tradition, one that all three astronauts shared, their words transcended belief systems, offering a universal message of awe, unity, and wonder in the face of the vastness of space.

James Lovell later reflected:

“The first ten verses of Genesis is the foundation of many of the world’s religions, not just the Christian religion. There are more people in other religions than the Christian religion around the world, and so this would be appropriate to that, and so that’s how it came to pass.”

From an unsettled Earth to the quiet vastness of space, Apollo 8's journey—and its message—remains a timeless reminder of the beauty, fragility, and shared wonder of our planet. 

After orbiting the moon 10 times, on Christmas morning, mission control anxiously awaited word that their engine burn to return to Earth was successful. They soon got confirmation when Lovell radioed, “Roger, please be informed there is a Santa Claus.”

 

 

And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close, with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good earth.

 

 

Check out the broadcast here:

 

Here is the full transcript of their Christmas message from 240,000 miles from earth. 

 

William A. Anders:

We are now approaching lunar sunrise. And, for all the people back on earth, the crew of Apollo 8 have a message that we would like to send to you. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."

James A. Lovell, Jr.:

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."

Frank Borman:

"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good." And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close, with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good earth.