* Apollo 8: This mission, launched in December 1968, was the first manned mission to orbit the moon. It was a critical step in the race to the moon, proving the capabilities of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft.
* Apollo 10: This mission, launched in May 1969, was a dress rehearsal for the Apollo 11 landing. It took the crew to within 15 kilometers of the lunar surface and allowed them to practice the landing procedures in a simulated lunar environment.
