Narrator: Fifty years ago on December 24, 1968, three American astronauts became the first human beings to orbit the moon. James Lovell, William Anders and Mission Commander Frank Borman, the crew of Apollo 8.
Six weeks prior to launch, a NASA official told Borman that their flight plan included a live broadcast to Earth on Christmas Eve. Then he reminded the astronaut to say something appropriate, because “more people will be listening to your voice than to that of any man in history.”
Borman’s choice of material was truly inspired. And as the spacecraft transmitted unprecedented closeups of the moon’s surface, the lunar explorers, now 240,000 miles from home, read these timeless words typed upon a sheet of fireproof paper. For a world captivated by the moment, it was the perfect Christmas message.
William Anders: We are now approaching a lunar sunrise. And for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
James Lovell: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: And it was so. … And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Frank Borman: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas: And God saw that it was good.
And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good earth.
Chorus sings: Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born.
