On this date in 1970

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

[sanatanadharma]

1. Audacious Apollo 8 mission did not have the landing craft module that saved Apollo 13 astronauts

On December 21, 1968 Apollo 8 left earth on an audacious mission.

The moon landing program had been designed to test men, machines and concepts in a 1-2-3-4-5- safety step plan.

Apollo 8 was to have been the second crewed Apollo Lunar Module and command module test to be flown in Earth orbit in early 1969.
Because the lunar module was not yet ready, the mission was changed to an ambitious command-module-only lunar orbital flight to be flown in December. The change required switching the two crews that had been in training for missions 8 & 9, shortening the training for the new Apollo 8 crew.

It was only the second manned Apollo flight and the first flight of a full stack (1st, 2nd, 3rd stages and return capsule).
Choosing to man the first full Saturn 5 flight to leave earth orbit aiming for the moon was extremely audacious.

Had the the Apollo 14 story occurred on the Apollo 8 mission, it would have been the end of three more lives and the moon mission, perhaps even NASA.