TIMING OF FLIGHT

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31866, 19 December 1968, Page 25

TIMING OF FLIGHT

Orbits Around Moon The launch time of the Apollo 8 moon flight late this month has been carefully calculated to give the best possible sightseeing opportunities to the astronauts when they orbit the moon One of the major tasks of. the three astronauts will be to inspect at least one of the five sites on the moon which have been selected by scientists for the future landing of astronauts. The moon rotates more slowly than the earth, so that a day and night on the moon equals 28 earth days. The ; astronauts want to be in moon orbit while at least one of the five future landing sites is bathed in sunlight rather than when all are on the moon s night side. The spacecraft must be launched between 7.45 am and 12.45 p.m. Cape Kennedy time (12.45 p.m. to 545 p.m.j G.M.T.) on December 21. Should the launching be de-! layed the astronauts must I wait until the next day. I Should the launch be de-! layed past December 27, the I astronauts will have to wait until between January 18 and 24—(U.5.1.5.)