Meet the First Men to Orbit the Moon: Apollo 8 Astronauts Join Museum for 40th Anniversary Celebration

(November 12, 2008) - The first men to orbit the moon, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders, join the San Diego Air and Space Museum on Thursday, December 11, for a special 40th Anniversary Celebration Dinner of their historic mission.

On December 21, 1968, these three American astronauts lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A and began a ground-breaking journey that would push back the boundaries of space exploration and ensure their place in the pantheon of aerospace pioneers.

The Apollo 8 crew were the first humans to finally break the bounds of earth, venture to the far side of the moon and return safely home. Theirs was the first manned mission launched on the Saturn V, the first manned launch from NASA's new Moonport, and the first mission to see the earth rise above the horizon of another world. More importantly, Apollo 8 paved the way for future lunar missions, proving that all was possible.

The Museum is offering a very special and rare opportunity to meet the first crew of astronauts to journey to the moon. The special evening will allow attendees to meet all three spacefarers, and to hear their awe-inspiring tales of leaving our planet and travelling to another world.

For more information please call (619) 234-8291 x140 or visit www.sandiegoairandspace.org