IN JULY. >> THIS MARKS 50 YEARS SINCE A
DARING MISSION, APOLLO 8.
HARRY SMITH IS HERE WITH THAT
STORY.
STORY. >> Reporter: THINK ABOUT THIS --
BEFORE NASA COULD LAND ON THE
MOON, THEY HAD TO GET OUT OF THE
EARTH’S ORBIT.
EARTH’S ORBIT. THEY HAD TO PLY TOFLY TO THE MOO
COME BACK.
COME BACK. THIS IS APOLLO 8, 50th
ANNIVERSARY COMING UP.
AND IT’S ALSO THE STORY OF AN
UNLIKELY PHOTOGRAPHER WHO
BROUGHT BACK A WHOLE NEW WORLD
VIEW.
VIEW. DAWN, DECEMBER 21st, 1968.
THE MEN ABOARD APOLLO 8 ARE NO
JOKE, ABOUT TO GO WHERE NO MAN’S
GONE BEFORE.
GONE BEFORE. >> I MUST SAY, EVERY TIME, EVEN
TODAY, IF I LOOK UP AND SEE THAT
LITTLE CRESCENT MOON, THE HAIR
GOES UP ON THE BACK OF MY NECK A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. >> Reporter: THE CREW, ROOKIE
BILL ANDERS, ALONG WITH FRANK
BOARMAN AND JIM LOVELL.
NASA ASTRONAUTS BRIMMING WITH
THE RIGHT STUFF AND NO SMALL
AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE.
>> PROBABLY THE WORLD’S BEST
FIGHTER PILOT.
FIGHTER PILOT. BUT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> Reporter: ANDERS, A COLD
WARRIOR AND NUCLEAR ENGINEER,
NEW THE MISSION WAS RISKY
BUSINESS, NASA’S FIRST FLIGHT TO
THE MOON.
THE MOON. >> I THOUGHT I HAD ONE CHANCE OF
THREE OF A SUCCESSFUL MISSION
AND ONE CHANCE IN THREE OF NOT
SURVIVING.
SURVIVING. >> Reporter: BENEATH THE
ASTRONAUTS, THESATURN 5, A
ROCKET THAT HAD NEVER LIFTED A
HUMAN BEING OFF OF THE EARTH.
UNTIL THAT MORNING.
>> THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO.
>> THE LIFTOFF ITSELF WAS KIND
OF AN EYE-OPENER TO ME.
>> WE HAVE LIFTOFF.
>> I FELT LIKE THE BUG ON THE
END OF A WHIP ANTENNA, JUST
GETTING THRASHED BACK AND FORTH.
>> Reporter: THE ROCKET, THRUST
THE CREW INTO EARTH’S ORBIT, AND
THEN, FIRED THEM ON A PATH TO
THE MOON.
THE MOON. >> APOLLO 8 WAS TRAVELING FASTER
THAN HAD ANY MAN BEFORE.
>> WHEN WE LAUNCHED, AFTER ABOUT
25 HOURS OF CLIMBING UP, I
STARTED TO TAKE PICTURES.
WE WERE ABLE TO TURN AROUND AND
GET A VIEW OF THE EARTH.
>> THE EARTH, IN FULL VIEW, AS
NO HUMAN BEING HAD SEEN BEFORE.
>> I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE FULL
EARTH, THE FIRST FULL EARTH,
MANNED COLOR SHOT, WHICH IS MY
FAVORITE PICTURE.
FAVORITE PICTURE. >> Reporter: ONCE IN LUNAR ORBIT
ORBIT, ANDERS’ ASSIGNMENT WAS TO
SHOOT PHOTOS OF THE MOON
SURFACE.
SURFACE. ON THE THIRD PASS, FRANK
BOARMAN, TWEAKED THE POSITION OF
THE SPACECRAFT.
THE SPACECRAFT. BOY, WERE THEY SURPRISED.
>> IT WAS IN THE TURNING AROUND,
LOOKING FORWARD PROCESS, WHEN I
SAW THIS THING COMING OUT OF THE
WINDOW.
WINDOW. AND IT WAS THE EARTH.
>> LOOK AT THAT PICTURE.
THAT’S THE EARTH COMING UP.
THAT’S PRETTY.
THAT’S PRETTY. I’LL TAKE THAT.
THAT’S NOT SCHEDULED.
>> FRANK BOARMAN IN THE PROCESS
SAID, YOU CAN’T DO THAT, ANDERS.
IT’S NOT ON THE FLIGHT PLAN.
>> Reporter: NOWHERE IN NASA’S
SCHEDULE WAS, TAKE PICTURES OF
THE EARTH WHEN YOU’RE UP THERE.
>> THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL SHOT.
>> WHEN THE EARTH CAME UP OVER
THE LUNAR HORIZON, THAT’S WHEN
IT IMPRESSED ME AS TO HOW MUCH
MORE DELICATE THE EARTH WAS AND
COLORFUL.
COLORFUL. >> Reporter: IT WAS CHRISTMAS
EVE, 1968.
EVE, 1968. SOON, THERE WAS ANOTHER TASK AT
HAND, A BROADCAST FROM SPACE.
ON EARTH, AN AUDIENCE OF ABOUT A
BILLION PEOPLE.
BILLION PEOPLE. DID THEY TELL YOU, WELL, YOU
SHOULD SAY SOMETHING OR YOU
SHOULD READ SOMETHING?
DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY
INSTRUCTION?
INSTRUCTION? >> HARDLY ANY INSTRUCTION.
ABOUT AS MUCH INSTRUCTION ON HOW
TO TAKE A PICTURE ON THE EARTH
RISE.
RISE. >> Reporter: COMMANDER BOARMAN
DECIDED TO CREW WOULD DO A
READING.
READING. >> Reporter:
>> Reporter: DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH PART YOU
READ?
READ? >> IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED
THE HEAVEN AND EARTH.
THE EARTH WAS WITHOUT FORM AND
VOID.
VOID. AND IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED
UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS.
AND GOD SAID, LET THERE BE
LIGHT.
LIGHT. >> APPARENTLY, THAT REALLY
SHOCKED MISSION CONTROL.
THEY WEREN’T EXPECTING THAT
WHATSOEVER.
WHATSOEVER. >> Reporter: APOLLO 8 SPLASHED
DOWN IN THE PACIFIC ON DECEMBER
26th.
26th. AND THE PHOTO, WHICH CAME TO BE
KNOWN AS EARTH RISE, WAS
PUBLISHED A FEW DAYS LATER.
>> IT MUST BE THE MOST
ASTONISHING PHOTOGRAPH ANYONE
HAS EVER SEEN.
>> Reporter: WHILE EARTH RISE
WOULD APPEAR ON A STAMP AND IN
COUNTLESS MAGAZINES, THE CAMERA
IT WAS TAKEN ON, ALL BUT
DISAPPEARED, UNTIL RECENTLY.
THERE’S A PLACE IN KANSAS CALLED
THE COSMOSPHERE.
THE COSMOSPHERE. THEY WANTED TO SEE IF YOU WOULD
BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT
THAT.
THAT. >> IS THAT A HOSELBLOD?
>> Reporter: THIS IS YOURS.
>> YOU’RE KIDDING.
I DIDN’T TAKE CARE OF IT, DID I?
THAT IS SOMETHING ELSE.
I’M TRYING TO THINK HOW IT
WORKS.
WORKS. >> Reporter: HAPPILY, WHEN THE
TIME CAME, HE KNEW.