A column in the Washington Post by David Von Drehle pointed out that exactly 50 years ago today, on Christmas Eve 1968, "For the first time, human eyes ventured far enough to see our planet for what it truly is: a miracle bordering on the impossible; a delicate bubble of life and meaning spinning through the cold and empty darkness of space."
What gave us that view was "the most audacious gamble" in the history of the audaciously American Apollo Program: Apollo 8 - a mission of several "firsts". Until then, "no human had ever ridden a rocket as powerful as the Saturn V. No human had ever left the Earth's orbit. And no human had ever traveled through interplanetary space to be captured by the gravity of another world."
The message the astronauts, James Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders sent back to Earth while circling the moon that December 24,1968, seemed to us a great way to share with you all the awesome wonder of this special season.
From our Brightstar Family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!