The genesis of the “Picture of the Century”

at recent days Frank Borman diesleader NASA’s Apollo 8 mission in 1968Drawing attention to the first flight to the moon.

It happened eight months before the mission Apollo 11, where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first discovered the surface of the moon. However, the impact of Apollo 8’s “sunrise” image – the view of Earth from the moon – today appears even greater than that of the first lunar landing.

For many years, the story behind The famous photo of Earthrise, is that the crew was surprised by the blue orb rising behind the moon. but Even if they are busy with other tasksThe astronauts had in mind that this would happen.

Another notable event of the expedition was Reading Genesis (the first book of the Bible) by the crew, the images of which were broadcast around the world at Christmas. My extensive research into NASA’s archives has revealed even more clearly how organized all these moments were. The famous sunrise photo, a bizarre shot taken in haste, was certainly improvised, but it was expected.

Capture the sunrise

After entering lunar orbit, the astronauts could hardly see the Earth. They only noticed this during the fourth orbit, when the capsule rotated 180 degrees to point forward. When I asked him, Bormann confirmed that at that point they were “surprised – they were too busy observing the Moon in the first three orbits.”

But no Director of photography for the Apollo program, Dick UnderwoodHe wanted to bring back the truth. “Hours were devoted to observing the Moon in the first three orbits,” he explains, “and the Moon crews, including the Apollo 8 crew, were extensively trained and briefed on exactly how to install the camera, and on what film to use… very thoroughly.”

However, NASA had difficulty deciding which images the astronauts should focus on, with management insisting on shots of the rover Lunar geology and potential landing sites. Dick Underwood explained:

“I insisted very much on taking a picture of the Earth rising, and we explained to the astronauts that this was exactly what we wanted.”

Borman was accompanied by two other astronauts: Jim Lovell, the command module pilot, and Bill Anders, the lunar module pilot. NASA had planned for Apollo 8 to test the lunar module, but because it was behind schedule, the mission did not take place.

At the pre-launch press conference, Borman was happy to get “good views of Earth from the Moon” and Lovell to see “Earth sunsets and sunrises.”

The official mission plan called for astronauts to take photos of Earth, but only as a last priority. When the decisive moment came, the astronauts were indeed surprised, but not for long.

Anders was standing at a side window taking pictures of the craters with a black-and-white film camera when he saw Earth emerging from behind the moon. “Look at this picture! It’s the Earth rising Anders shouted..

Anders soon took a clear picture of the Earth emerging from the lunar horizon. He and Lovell then argued briefly over who should have the color camera, while Bormann tried to calm them down.

It was Anders who took over Color image of Earthriseblurred, hastily framed and overexposed, was later given the nameImage of the century. But in the other camera there was a much better picture, which had been ignored for a long time because it was in black and white.

This first mono was perfect. The restored image of Earthrise, recently colorized by experts who took subsequent images for reference, recreates the stunning spectacle the astronauts witnessed.

This image reveals the land as a majestic but fragile oasis. As Lovell said: “The isolation here is overwhelming…it makes us realize what we have on earth.” For Bormann, too, it was “very moving… We didn’t say anything to each other, but we probably shared the same idea: This must be what God sees.”

Reading the Bible

In 1968, as today, space travel was considered the domain of science and technology. But the mission was also sent by someone The most Christian countries in the worldThe crew did not leave without their cultural baggage.

NASA was proud that its astronauts were free in their opinions, while the Soviet astronauts were as well Monitor and control it closely. Although it may seem extraordinary today, they were left free to decide for themselves what to say during their historic live broadcast from lunar orbit.

Boorman knew he had to come up with something special for the Christmas show. A few weeks ago, his press secretary told him: “We believe you will be heard more than any other man in history.” So we want you to say something appropriate.

While Neil Armstrong’s message was “One small step.” Carefully prepared within NASANo one at the agency knew in advance what Borman would say.

Just two minutes before radio contact was lost as the spacecraft passed behind the moon, Anders said: “The Apollo 8 crew has a message to convey to you. » Then he read A From Genesis : “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was formless and void. God said: ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light. »

Lovell and Borman read the following verses, and Borman concluded: “Merry Christmas, and God bless you all—all of us on our good earth. »

When Apollo 8 turned off all radio communications, the world was left to absorb the impact of those words. “During those moments, I felt the presence of creation and the Creator,” Gene Kranz later recalled. NASA flight director. ” I was crying. “

Somehow, Borman and his colleagues found the perfect words to express their experience. But Bormann had thought carefully about his mission and asked A A publicist friend enlisted his help in writing the script.

It was Simon Burgin, head of science policy at the US Information Agency. Burgin, in turn, asked journalist Joe Laitin who he was. He spoke with his wife, Christine.

After referring to the Old Testament, I suggested: “Why don’t we start at the beginning?” » You highlight the fundamental power of the creation story in the first book of Genesis, with its evocative description of the Earth.

Boorman immediately realized it was perfect and wrote it down. He wonderfully justified the trust placed in him by NASA.

If the image of the earth rising and the reading of Genesis are the fruit of inspiration and a certain freedom, then its implementation is due to careful planning and great professionalism.