Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything

Gr 5 Up—Climb aboard the mission to the moon that paved the way for the future of space exploration. In 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into Earth's orbit, the space race had begun and the United States was losing. In response, NASA was created and, by 1961, President John F. Kennedy made exploring space a priority. Many missions, both manned and unmanned, were launched in the years that followed. In 1968, the three men onboard Apollo 8 were quite literally going where no man had ever gone before: around the moon. Sandler's work is full of detailed research and descriptions of the space race and provides readers with the context needed to understand why Apollo 8 was such a momentous event. The main narrative is broken up with profiles of significant individuals and concepts. Sandler traces mankind's curiosity about the moon from ancient mythology to the 1960s. Full-color photographs enhance nearly every page and offer readers a greater understanding of this revolutionary mission.