Centrifuge - October 1968 centrifuge runs with the prime crew to familiarize them with accelerations expected during flight. Audio is from the post-flight crew debriefing. Altitude Chamber - The prime crew in an altitude chamber run with their spacecraft. No audio. To The White Room - A unique astronaut-view walkthrough from the base of the launcher to the white room, the route the crew took to board the spacecraft on launch day. Audio commentary from the post-flight debrief. Countdown Demonstration Test - Suitup and transfer to pad during the pre-launch countdown demonstration test. Audio is from post-flight debriefing. Deluge Test - Pad 39a featured a water deluge system to protect hardware from the heat and flame of a Saturn V launch. This is a test of the system prior to Apollo 8. Audio is from post-flight debriefing.
Rollout - Transport of the Apollo 8 vehicle from the VAB to Pad 39a. Audio is from natural sound of the crawler/transporter, recorded digitally by Peter Armstrong and used by permission. Pad Operations - Preparation for the first manned flight of a Saturn V. Audio is from post flight debriefing.
Static Launch Views - 5 angles of the Apollo 8 launch. Audio is air to ground and public affairs officer. Surround. Tracking Launch Views - 3 angles of the Apollo 8 launch. Audio is from the flight director's loop and continues through SECO. Surround. Pad Camera Views - 4 angles of the Apollo 8 launch. Audio is natural vehicle sound. Surround.
Recovery of Apollo 8. Splashdown occurred in pre-dawn darkness. Audio is from onboard recorder during entry, air to ground transmissions during entry, and President Johnson's call to the crew after splashdown.
TV Transmission #1 took place on Sunday, December 22nd, 1968, at 31:08 ground elapsed time. At this point the spacecraft was approximately halfway between the Earth and the Moon. This transmission shows the interior of the spacecraft with an attempt to show views of the Earth. Trouble with the telephoto lens prevented good pictures of Earth. Audio is air to ground with the flight director's loop. (13:50)
TV Transmission #2, on Monday, December 23rd, showed the Earth from a distance of 180,000 miles. Audio is air to ground with flight director's loop. 55:07 GET. (21:52)
TV Transmission #3, the first of two transmissions on Christmas Eve, gave television audiences their first close up views of the lunar surface. During this transmission, the spacecraft was in a 168.8 x 59.9 nautical mile orbit of the Moon. Audio from air to ground and the flight director's loop. 71:40 GET. (12:40)
TV Transmission #4, the second Christmas Eve broadcast, and the most famous, again showed views of the lunar surface. During this transmission, Apollo 8 was orbiting the moon at 60.7 x 59.7 nautical miles. The broadcast ends with a reading from the book of Genesis and a historic sign-off from the first travelers to another world. Audio is air to ground and flight director's loop. 85:41 GET. (25:20)
TV Transmission #5, on Christmas Day. This transmission occurred after the successful trans-Earth injection burn which put the spacecraft on course for home. The broadcast shows the interior of the spacecraft. Audio is air to ground and flight director's loop. 104:24 GET. (10:00)
TV Transmission #6, Thursday, December 26th, 1968, 128:01 GET. From the day before the return to Earth. Shots of Earth. Air to ground and flight director audio. (4:20)
Magazine H - Taken just after trans-lunar injection, a few hours after liftoff. Shows the Earth and the third stage of the Saturn after separation, along with some views of the lunar surface. Audio is air to ground transmission from TLI and separation.
Magazine I - Lunar surface views. Audio commentary is from the post flight photo debriefing with Bill Anders.
Magazine J - Lunar surface views. Audio is air to ground transmissions from lunar orbit insertion and trans-Earth injection.
Magazine K - Lunar surface views and interior spacecraft. Audio is from the onboard recorder during the burn which placed the spacecraft into lunar orbit. Since the burn took place while on the far side, no communication with Earth was possible at the time.
Magazine Q - Lunar surface views. Audio is from the onboard recorder during the taking of the famous "earthrise" photographs.
Magazine R - Interior spacecraft - Audio commentary is from the post flight debriefing on navigation with Jim Lovell.
