Launched on December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 marked the momentous first step of manned lunar exploration. Propelled beyond the Earth’s gravitational field, the spacecraft entered the lunar orbit, circled the moon ten times, and returned safely to Earth. Its crew of three was the first to see the dark side of the moon, to see the Earth from the lunar orbit, and to return safely from a voyage around another celestial body. At the end of a year filled with violent upheaval, Herblock created this inspiring metaphor for the human capacity for scientific achievement.