Apollo 8: Frank Borman (1928- ) and James Lovell (1928- ) Astronauts. Apollo 8, the second human spaceflight mission in the Apollo space program, was launched on December 21, 1968, and became the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth orbit, reach the Earth's Moon, orbit it and return safely to Earth. The three-astronaut crew Frank Borman James Lovell, and William Anders became the first humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit, the first to see Earth as a whole planet, the first to directly see the far side of the Moon, and then the first to witness Earthrise. Three signed items: postal launch cover signed by Borman and Lovell and first day of issue covers with the Apollo 8 commemorative and cachet signed by Borman and Lovell.