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It blew my mind to find out the first crewed mission to launch on the Saturn V (Apollo 8) flew all the way out and around the moon. No low earth orbit shakedown
by qbasic_forever 4y ago
It blew my mind to find out the first crewed mission to launch on the Saturn V (Apollo 8) flew all the way out and around the moon. No low earth orbit shakedown or anything, just straight to the moon (without landing). A few more launches tested they could dock with the LM and then Apollo 11 just went for it back to the moon and landing. The pace they went at is pretty unbelievable today.
- Aperocky 4y agoTrue YOLO moment. It's a miracle that everyone that went to the Moon returned unscathed.
- five82 4y agoI believe Apollo 8 was originally supposed to be a low earth orbit shakedown with the LEM. Because the LEM wasn’t ready, they decided to send them to the moon.
- m4rtink 4y agoIIRC there might have been Soviets in a Zond capsule launched on a Proton beating US to the lunar orbit in play when changing the plans for Apollo 8.