ɐpˈɑːloʊ ˈeɪt wʌz lˈɑːntʃt ˌɪntʊ ɐn ɪnˈɪʃəl ˈɔːɹbɪt wɪð ɐn ˈæpoʊdʒˌiː ʌv ænd ɐ pˈɛɹɪdʒˌiː ʌv , wɪð ɐn ɪŋklɪnˈeɪʃən ʌv θˈɜːɾi tˈuː.fˈɪfti wˈʌn dᵻɡɹˈiːz tə ðɪ ɪkwˈeɪɾɚ, ænd ɐn ˈɔːɹbɪɾəl pˈiəɹɪəd ʌv ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt.nˈaɪntiːn mˈɪnɪts.
Apollo8 was launched into an initial orbit with an apogee of  and a perigee of , with an inclination of 32.51° to the Equator, and an orbital period of 88.19 minutes.