 On Earth , Mission Control continued to wait . If the crew had not burned the engine or the burn had not lasted the planned length of time , the crew would appear early from behind the Moon . However , this time came and went without Apollo 8 reappearing . Exactly at the calculated moment , the signal was received from the spacecraft , indicating it was in a 193 @.@ 3 @-@ by @-@ 69 @.@ 5 @-@ mile ( 311 @.@ 1 by 111 @.@ 8 km ) orbit about the Moon . 
