December 24: Message from the Moon (1968)
Prayer Idea
God called his Creation good. Pray for people to reflect on the goodness of Creation and our place in it.
History Note
The Apollo program was NASA’s effort in the 1960s to land humans on the Moon. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to go into orbit around the Moon. Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James “Jim” Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William “Bill” Anders reached lunar orbit on December 24, 1968.
During preparation for the mission, NASA decided that the astronauts should bring a video camera with them and make broadcasts back to Earth. Commander Borman initially resisted the plan, not wanting the broadcasts to interfere with their mission. However, he was overruled. When Borman asked what they should say, NASA told them, “Do something appropriate.”
The astronauts made two video broadcasts on the way to the Moon. Jim Lovell wished his mother, Blanche, happy birthday in one. The astronauts also showed themselves goofing around a bit. In a primetime broadcast on Christmas Eve (Eastern Time), they showed pictures of the Earth and Moon as seen from their spacecraft. They also took turns reading a few verses from the first chapter of Genesis.
Walter Cronkite, a news reporter, later reflected:
You know, I'm afraid that my first reaction was, 'Oh, this is a little too much, this is a little too dramatic.' Even, I might even have thought 'this is a little corny.' But by the time Borman had finished reading that excerpt from the Bible, I admit that I had tears in my eyes. It was really impressive and just the right thing to do at the moment. Just the right thing.
The Apollo 8 broadcasts won an Emmy, which is the highest honor given by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Bill Anders took this photo of Earth rising over the surface of the Moon. Image courtesy NASA.
Learn More
This is a clip from the Christmas Eve broadcast from Apollo 8.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
