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Apollo VII – XVII: Photographs taken by NASA’s Apollo mission astronauts

Photography has become a crucial medium for documenting the history of mankind, and the early exploration of space is one such historical event unrivalled among humanity achievements. Fortunately, the skill and daring of a very particular group of 'photographers' – the Apollo program astronauts – were able to bring back beautifully moving and instantly recognisable images from space.

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Astronaut in white spacesuit standing on the moon's surface beside the American flag, with a lunar module and equipment visible against the black sky

The collection, entitled Apollo VII – XVII, created a new understanding of what it means to be human living on this planet and its relation to the sun and stars. Now, 225 of these images are to be presented in large format for the first time thanks to a new photography book of the same title. Bringing them to life and restoring the colour from the original scans of 70mm film the astronauts shot during their missions between 1968 and 1972.

But rather than simply focus on the historical or scientific value of the photographs, the authors of Apollo VII – XVII wanted to give merit to the photographic skill. In which case, some of the featured images have never been printed before.

The book begins with a unique and exclusive short essay written by Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham who flew on the very first manned Apollo mission. The text focuses on his pioneering experimentation and testing of the Hasselblad camera that flew with him on board. It was his endeavours that created the foundation for his fellow Apollo astronauts such as Anders Armstrong and Cernan to capture some of the most well-known photographs like the ‘Earthrise’ over the lunar surface, the first footprint on the moon or the iconic ‘Blue Marble’ capturing the whole of the Earth in one delicate frame. This essay, as Cunningham mentions, is the first time he has written his memories on this topic in print.

You can pre-order the book via www.theapollophotobook.com where you can also get your hands on six C-prints of the Apollo missions.

Via Creative Boom submission | All images courtesy of Apollo VII – XVII

Astronaut in white spacesuit on lunar ladder next to gold-wrapped Lunar Module on the Moon's surface against black sky
Astronaut's boot and shadow on the lunar surface during an Apollo mission
Earth's curved horizon glowing blue and white against the black of space, photographed during an Apollo mission between 1968 and 1972
Astronaut in red spacesuit and gold-visored helmet on the lunar surface with the lunar module visible in the background
Astronaut in white spacesuit on the lunar surface holds a camera, with another astronaut and lunar module visible in the helmet visor reflection
Astronaut in white spacesuit on the lunar surface with the shadow of the lunar module visible in the foreground
Lunar module with gold-tinted legs and equipment on the Moon's surface, with bright sunlight and Earth visible in the black sky above
Astronaut in white spacesuit holding American flag with Earth visible in black space above
Earth's curved horizon with bands of orange-tinted clouds against a blue atmosphere, photographed from space during an Apollo mission
Apollo Lunar Module shown against black background with gold thermal insulation, antennas and docking equipment visible
Lunar rover with gold-coloured instruments and equipment parked on the Moon's grey, dusty surface with a large lunar module visible in the background under dark sky
Astronaut in spacesuit standing beside American flag on lunar surface with lunar module, rover and gold-tinted equipment visible against grey moon landscape
Apollo VII – XVII hardback book with blue, black and white cover featuring a lunar landscape photograph
Blue, black and white book cover for Apollo VII–XVII with gold text, angled against grey background
Open book displaying a black and white photograph of an astronaut in a spacesuit on the lunar surface during an Apollo mission
Open book displaying lunar module on the Moon's surface from Apollo mission photography
Open book displaying two NASA Apollo mission photographs showing astronauts and lunar equipment on the moon's surface
Open book displaying black and white photographs of astronauts on the lunar surface, including one with an American flag planted on the moon
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