3 MEN FLY AROUND THE MOON

ONLY 70 MILES FROM SURFACE ;

Astronauts Examine

Lonely Place;Read From Genesis

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORDThe York Times

Associated PressCapt . James A. Lovell Jr.Frank Borman Maj. William A. Anders

dirty beach sand with lots

footprints on it " and said it" looks like plaster of Paris.

At about 9:30 P.M. the astro

nauts began their second andlast television show from lunarorbit . It ran some 30 minutesand showed the bright moonin a pitch black sky, outsidethe spacecraft window .

Earth Like on 'Oasis

Colonel Borman described

the moon as a vast lonely and

forbidding sight," adding thatit was " not a very inviting

place to live or work .

Captain Lovell saw the earthas a " grand oasis in the big

vastness of space."Major Anders was most im

pressed by the lunar sunriseand sunsets .

As the telecast neared its

end Colonel Borman said

" Apollo has a message foryou . " With that, Major Anders

began reading the openingverses from the Book of

esis about creation of the

earth.

" In the beginning, MajorAnders read , "God created the

heaven and the earth .

" And the earth was withoutform and voice ; and darkness

was upon the face of the

deep

HOUSTON , Wednesday , Dec.25 The three astronauts of

Apollo 8 yesterday became thefirst men to orbit the moon .Early today after flying 10times around that desolate

realm of dream and scientific

mystery , they started their return to earth

They fired the spacecraft'smain rocket engine at 1:10 A.M.to kick them out of lunar orbit

Excerpts from messages toand from Apollo Page 36.

and to carry them toward asplashdown in the Pacific Oceanon Friday

Through the static of 231,000

Apollo 8 swungaround from behind the moonand started for earth, one ofthe astronauts dispelled anydoubts, saying Please be informed there is a Santa Claus."

57 - Hour Return TripIt would be a 57 -hour return

trip from the most far -reaching

voyage of the space age thus

far of any other previousage. The astronauts had seen ,as no other men had , the ancient lunar craters , plains andrugged mountains fromascloseas 70 miles.

At 4:59 A.M. yesterday ,about 20 hours before the return trip Frank Borman ofthe Air Force, Capt. JamesLovell Jr. of the Navy and Maj.William A. Anders of the AirForce, swept into an orbit ofthe moon by firing the spacecraft's main rocket. This occurred after they flew aroundthe Icading edge of the moonand were directly behind theearth's only natural satellite .

got it ! got it!"exclaimed mission commentator of the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration asthe spacecraft emerged frombehind the moon 24 minuteslater, and was clearly flying asafe and smooth orbit .

Businesslike Report

The calm and laconic Apolloexplorers, however were all

business. Captain Lovell's firstmessage to earth was simply :

" ahead , Houston. Apollo

8. Burn complete. Our orbit is169.1 by by 60.5 . "

The astronauts flew twice

around the moonshaped orbit , dropped toa circular orbit nearly 70 miles

the craters.

plains and rugged mountains of

the lunar surface.

As they beamed their firstlive television from !Christmas Eve morning , theydescribed the surface of themoon as a colorless gray " like

Captain Lovell then took up

with the verse beginning . AndGod called the light day , andthe darkness He called night.

Colonel Borman closed the

reading with the verse thatread:

" And God called the dry landEarth; and the gathering together of the water called HeSeas : and God saw that it wasgood.

Sends Holiday GreetingsAfter that Colonel

signed off , saying:

Good by , good night. MerryChristmas. God bless all of youall of you on the good earth . "

S. Lunney , one of theflight directors here toldporters earlier , " have a

completely go spacecraft ."George M. Low , the space

manager at the MannedSpacecraft , said he was

altogether happy" with themission - most ambitiousand daring thus far in the nation's $24- billion Apollo projectto land men on the moon nextyear

Although the mission'swas not primarily scientif

ic, Dr. John Dietrich of thespace center's geology and geochemistry branch , said that thetelevision pictures and astroContinued on Page36 Column

craft

above ancient

TheNewJork TimesPublished : December 25 , 1968

Copyright The New York Times

3 Astronauts Orbit Moon 70 Miles Above Surface and Then Head for the Earth

WE GOT IT IS CRYOF HAPPY NASA

Reports Seeing

Lonely, Place

From Book of Genesis

in

Continued From Page 1 Col. 8

naut descriptions had "strated their ability to observefrom the spacecraft to a degreeI think surprised most of us.

The astronauts ' color moviesandstillpictures, expected tobe the most spectacular andmost valuable all the pic

, will be brought back forprocessing and analysis by scientists. Many of the pictureswere taken of a site in the Sea NASA United Press International

SMILE OF SATISFACTION : Glynn Lunney director, watching the initial telecast from Apollo after it went into its moon orbit . Scene is the control center in Houston.of Tranquility where

astronauts may land next year .

The lunar orbiting missionthe second manned flight of theApollo project is expected tobe followed by an earth -orbitingflight in Februaryor Marchto test the lunar landing vehicle. The first landing on themoon could come as early asnext June

Apollo historic voyageround and round the mooncame about 69 hours after thespacecraft was launched by aSaturn 5 rocket at Cape Kennedy , Fla. last Saturday morn

spacecraft was falling

faster and faster toward themoon's vicinity, having crossedfrom earth's to the moon'ssphere of gravitational influencewhen the astronauts were more

than 214,000 miles away fromearth

To make a fine correctionof their aim the astronautsfired the spacecraft's smallmaneuvering rockets . Groundcontrollers, fearing some of theApollo computers navigationdatamight be incorrect , radioed a new set of numbers into the instrument's memoryunit .

Then , Maj. Gerald Carr ofthe Marine Corps, the astronautacting as capsule communicator in the control room , radioed:

" Apollo , you are ridingthe best bird we can find ."

" Thanks a lotMajor Anders replied. " We'll

see you on the other side. "At 4:49 A.M. as the space

craft curved behind the moonthe signals died out . Apollowas out of range of the spaceagency's three deep -spacetracking antennas - California , Spain and Australia .This was 10 minutes before

the spacecraft's 20,500 poundthrust main rocket was supposed to fire themdown and dropping them intolunar orbit. The rocket issituated in the aft end of thespacecraft's 22 - foot - long equipment unit, called the servicemodule The crew

compartment the commandmodule, is only 11 feet long.

Engine Fires on Schedule

the engine failed to fire,

the astronauts would merelyloop around the moon's back

side, without going into orbitand then whip backto earth.

But the engine ignited on

schedule, at 4:59 A.Mfired slightly more than four

minutes. The engine was pointing toward moon at an

so that the firing actedas an explosive brake, slowingthe spacecraft from a speed of

5,758 miles an hour to 3,643

miles an hourIt was 20 minutes more be

fore flight controllers herecould know if they had an orbiting spacecraft . They waitedin tense silence .

Then came a trickle of dataindicating that the spacecraft

was emerging andworkingwell. Finally a long minutelater, there was a crackle ofsound over the voice communication circuit

Captain Lovell was talking .He was ever so matter of fact ,the pilot first, leaving anypoetry for later" ahead Houston Apollo8. Captain Lovell said. " Burn

complete . Our orbit is 109.1byl60.5 .

Happy to Get Message crater Langrenus , one of many can see the long parallel faults their second orbit the astro some 4.5 billion to 5 -billion Passing over the Sea of Fer- slight but puzzling changes .

craters with peaks rising from of Gaudibert and runAmid the jubilation from the

nauts aimed their 4.5 - pound years old . Since the moon hasStarting out in a circular orbit

through themare ) materialthe centerof their floors. Theytility forthe second time, Major

television camera on the mooncontrol room Major Carr ac

no atmosphere and no surface Anders took pictures with his of 69.8miles Apollo woundnext flew over the broad plain right into the highland mate- and transmitted

knowledged the message:their first water face has not unde 16 -mm . He de- up sagging to nearly 68 miles

rial.called the Sea of Fertility

" 8 this is Houston.7:29pictures. This began at

Faults areat a low point and rising togone same erosion as the scribed the sea as a darker

When asked by ground conRoger. 60.5 . Good to

cracks in earth's has brown than he had expected. nearly 73 miles at a high point

trollers what " the old moon lunar surface produced At first the light was toohear your voice. "

While in orbit the astronautsBut through the ages it has

Flight controllers could notstresses of unknown origin .lookslike." Captain Lovell be

The numbers were the altibright with the sun directly immediately explain thisshot some 1.200 still pictures

been peppered withBy then Apollo had passedgan describing the sights un. overhead. The first crater they

tude of their moon orbit givenmany of them in color, with a ency , which was being studied .

and rent with volcanic erupover much of the area looked down on was an unfolding below :in nautical miles. It translates

It might be related to the70 . Hasselblad camera , astions, presumably the primaryof the moon and was reaching" The moon is essentially

named one Brandto about 194.5 statute miles at

well as movies and the moon's gravitational anomalies.sources of the craters .

the of Tranquility , an evengray color . like

after Vance D.Brand . He is anthe highest point , which would

vision Whennight fell here and aIn the the astronauts

broader plain on theright sideplaster of Paris or sort of

be on the frontof the moon,

astronaut acting as capsuleof the moon , as from

bright quarter moon shone intook pictures along a path run On one orbit Major Anders

communicator during the nightgrayish beach sand. We can see

and 69.6 miles at the low point,

the sky. mission controlearth.

let the movie run forning about 550 miles. A single

quite a bit of detail .on the back side . With the sun close to

commented to Apollo 8 thatpictureusually covered anarca

the completed two - hour revoluThroughout their orbit the" The of Fertility doesn't

Flight controllers and the

there is a moon outtion , pictures at

the horizon the astronautsstand out as well here as it175 miles wide.

astronauts called many of thethere .

frame a second . He also took

astronauts always in naudoes back on earth .

were able to make out more After about 10 minutes thesmall unnamed craters on theThere's

BormanColonel replied .

tical miles. These figures details , especially cnhancingpictures of the terminator be

not as much contrast between astronauts signed off theirback side hy the names of " Now were just saying thatand night .

reporters into that and the surroundingtheir perception of depth and cast promising to resume it on

friends , associates and themthere's a beautiful carth out

statute miles . The subsequent orbits wereheight on the lunar surface.craters. The craters are all selves. The craters Borman their ninth orbit. The show

.As the astronauts emerged fairly . The astronauts

rounded off . There's quite aThis was the they stopped asLovell and lay just their spacecraft

and took a turn at some shortIt depends on your point of

from around the casternpassed over Smyth's and

of them are wanted it. For on the Sea south of the equator near where . the groundnaps. continued to take

newer. Many of them look likeof themoon

Tranquility lies of five the back of the moonprominent craters, Gilbert controller

color pictures , and also pracward near the cquator the sun

andsites being considered for thethe round ones and the front begins . During the voyage

look like they were hit bywas shining high overhead . manned lunar landing plannedticed sighting landmarks used

Apollo officials said the cra The complained the command

of its slow rotationfor navigation .for next year The primary

projectiles ofagain that three of their fivenames were in no way

er did most of the piloting

purpose of the Apollo mission official, merely handy ways tosome sort .windows were hazy From the tracking data ,

the moon's daytimes and nightwhile Captain Lovell navigated

" Langrenus is quite a huge is to take detailed pictures oftimes both last 14 days . Most

identify controllers have noticed thatclouding somewhat their view and Major Anders was camerathe moon .

.crater. It's got a central cone

the area to help future astroof the moon's back side and thethe spacecraft tended to man

to it. The walls of the craterAn analysis by engineers on

nauts steer to landing.castern edge of the side facing

when it the faDuring the Major news conference heremous crater Copernicus .

are terraced , about six or sevencarth are now in sunlight Much

It's about impossible to the ground indicated that theAnders , who cam This was attributed to thecontrollers were asked

different terraces on the way problem probably lay in the

of the center part of the moon'smiss. " Captain Lovell assured

cra described the scenic :

what emotional reaction the

flight controllers . " Very easy rubberized caulking materialdown .

face partly illuminated nowThe color of the moon

fact , recently noted , that under astronauts experienced on hethe moon's surface there areused to the windows '

by the carth shine. to out.Some '

like a very whitish gray

ing the first men to aroundThey that the scattered lumps of material of

The astronauts ' first concern The then beach with lots offlewthe moon and see it from

Captain Lovell went on to greatercreates the giving ! density A slightly

over the terminator - the pointwas not the moon but a radia .

footprints in it . Some of these

statementsdescribe two craters in the of contaminat

daylight changestor in the spacecraft's coolinglikecraters

greater gravitational emotion

FertilitySeawin .

darkness . in that striking concrete creatingexerted at those

system . All the water had evapold

this replieddows were sealed different The

dust. "

orated , and had to be replenfriends Messier and Pickering.

arca reported, quite

" say wasno trou

sharpof fubilation exultation

He rays light material Captain Lovell then reported But the areThen the

any other word I can think

extending out from Pickering'sBut beyond , with the of what appears enrefully so that

ported that the thatbe very small

of that would synonymous .carthshine , it and

down to see the crater rim the window willhave these little white

This is something they havemore to make any

" Now coming upon themoonwas came to expect many months

landmarks on the surface. rays radinting from them the warming sun during theOne of the first major lunar

ind more cratersColombo and Guten- After moving around the The moon is in light being the orbits that the

fcatures they spotted was the Major Anders said . " We side and reappearing in about the same age as carth- underwent they

A.M.

shift .

saw and

The York TimesPublished : December 25 1968

Copyright The New York Times