Around the Moon and Back Again

This image commemorates the 45th anniversary of Apollo 8 which launched on December 21, 1968. For the first time in history, humans escaped the Earth's direct gravitational pull and entered into orbit around the Moon.

Three days later, astronaut William Anders would take the famous "Earthrise" photograph as their spacecraft rounded the Moon during its fourth orbit.

The rocket depicted here is rounding the Earth for another figure eight circuit from the Earth to the Moon and back.