First to the Moon: The Journey of Apollo 8
First to the Moon: The Story of Apollo 8 is a 2018 documentary film about the second manned spaceflight mission in the United States Apollo space program, which launched on December 21, 1968. Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit, reach the Moon, orbit it, and return safely to Earth.[1] The film was released in December 2018 and has been screened at The Explorers Club in New York City,[2] the Kansas Cosmosphere,[3] and Arizona State University.[4]
First to the Moon: The Story of Apollo 8 | |
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Directed by | Paul Hildebrandt |
Produced by | Paul Hildebrandt Jon Martin Geoffrey Notkin |
Music by | Alexander Bornstein |
Release date |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Synopsis

The film follows the Apollo 8 mission and its crew, featuring archival material from NASA, the National Archives, and the astronauts' own personal collections. One of the many revelations in the film, the documentary discloses that the famed Earthrise photograph captured by Bill Anders was unplanned.[5]
Participants
- Frank Borman, Commander
- Bill Anders, Lunar Module Pilot
- Jim Lovell, Command Module Pilot
References
- "50th Anniversary of the Apollo Program". Smithsonian Affiliations. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- "Space Stories 2018". The Explorers Club. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- "First to the Moon: The Journey of Apollo 8 Screening". Evensi. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- "Apollo 8 Mission 50th Anniversary Celebration". Arizona State University. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- Retherford, Bill (7 March 2018). "New Doc Focuses on Earthrise Photo, Apollo 8 Flight". Forbes. Retrieved 10 December 2018.