he heaven and the earth. . . . And G od said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. . . And God saw that it was good."
Borman brought the transmission to a finish after the men had recited 10 verses.
"We close," he said, "with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and G od bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth."
NASA hadn't known what the astronauts were going to say, writes Robert Kurson in "Rocket Men," a gripping account of Apollo 8's odyssey. "Inside Mission Control, no one moved. Then, one after another, those scientists and engineers in Houston began to cry."
They weren't the only ones overcome with emotion. The astronauts' words could not have more perfectly suited the moment. Fifty years ago, at another time when Americans and so much of the world were riven by turmoil, anger, and mistrust, Apollo 8 had found a way to remind Earth's residents that what unites them is far more profound and enduring than what divides them.
Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.