Artemis 2 is most similar to Apollo 8. What the missions had in common

Like Apollo 8 in 1968, NASA's Artemis 2 mission from Florida will send a crew of astronauts around the moon and back without landing.

Nearly 60 years ago, three Americans made history as the first humans to ever break free of Earth's orbit on their way toward the moon.

And when they passed behind the moon to the side Earth never sees, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell (who died in August) and William Anders became the first humans in space to lose sight of their home world.

Now, similar to the Apollo 8 mission of 1968, NASA is preparing to send a new crew of astronauts on a relatively short voyage circling Earth's only natural satellite. And like their predecessors, the Artemis 2 crew members may not have the honor of making a lunar landing, but will instead pave the way for future astronauts to step foot on the lunar surface.

Here's a look at how NASA's upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission compares to the iconic Apollo 8.

NASA is targeting April 1 for a launch of the Artemis 2 lunar mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center along the Atlantic Coast near Cape Canaveral, Florida.