Editing Apollo 8 (section)

==Background==

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the United States was engaged in the [[Cold War]], a geopolitical rivalry with the [[Soviet Union]].{{sfn|Logsdon|1976|p=134}} On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched [[Sputnik 1]], the first [[Satellite|artificial satellite]]. This unexpected success stoked fears and imaginations around the world. It not only demonstrated that the Soviet Union had the capability to deliver nuclear weapons over intercontinental distances, it challenged American claims of military, economic, and technological superiority.{{sfn|Logsdon|1976|pp=13–15}} The launch precipitated the [[Sputnik crisis]] and triggered the [[Space Race]].{{sfn|Brooks|Grimwood|Swenson|1979|p=1}}

[[President of the United States|President]] [[John F. Kennedy]] believed that not only was it in the national interest of the United States to be superior to other nations, but that the perception of American power was at least as important as the actuality. It was therefore intolerable to him for the Soviet Union to be more advanced in the field of space exploration. He was determined that the United States should compete, and sought a challenge that maximized its chances of winning.{{sfn|Logsdon|1976|p=134}}

The Soviet Union had heavier-lifting [[carrier rocket]]s, which meant Kennedy needed to choose a goal that was beyond the capacity of the existing generation of rocketry, one where the US and Soviet Union would be starting from a position of equality—something spectacular, even if it could not be justified on military, economic, or scientific grounds. After consulting with his experts and advisors, he chose such a project: to land a man on the Moon and return him to the Earth.{{sfn|Logsdon|1976|pp=112–117}} This project already had a name: [[Project Apollo]].{{sfn|Brooks|Grimwood|Swenson|1979|p=15}}

An early and crucial decision was the adoption of [[lunar orbit rendezvous]], under which a specialized spacecraft would land on the lunar surface. The [[Apollo (spacecraft)|Apollo spacecraft]] therefore had three primary components: a [[Apollo command and service module#Command module (CM)|command module]] (CM) with a cabin for the three astronauts, and the only part that would return to Earth; a [[service module]] (SM) to provide the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water; and a two-stage [[lunar module]] (LM), which comprised a descent stage for landing on the Moon and an ascent stage to return the astronauts to lunar orbit.{{sfn|Brooks|Grimwood|Swenson|1979|pp=72–77}} This configuration could be launched by the [[Saturn V]] rocket that was then under development.{{sfn|Brooks|Grimwood|Swenson|1979|pp=48–49}}