I want to begin by drawing poetic synergy regarding naming those NASA missions back in the 1960s and spotlight NASA's manager Abe Silverstein as he decided to call them after the Greek god Apollo.
And in reflection on determining the missions name, Abraham Silverstein, who later became the recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Medal, comments endearingly,
"๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐."
Silverstein chose that particular name at home one evening, early in 1960, because, in his words felt;
"๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐."
Lyrics (Excerpt)
๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐
It's thanks to the crew of Apollo 8, where lunar module pilot Bill Anders photographed Earth rising above the barren surface of Earth's Moon. Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to the Moon and the first time our planet was seen with human eyes rising above the horizon of another planetary body, our Earth-Moon.
This mission was made famous because of astronaut Bill Anders' photograph, perfectly known as Earthrise, which became the most influential environmental image ever and a defining moment of the 20th century.
Knowing the impact this photo made on the world and combining this image with the story of the 7th movement was going to be a powerful partnership to help amplify the message for the crowning moment of this symphony. And this was my musical mission.
Day 3 - Libretto Excerpt "Brave the Lunar Crew"