 The Gemini ProgramGemini
was the intermediate step toward achieving a manned lunar
landing, bridging the flight experience gap between the
short-duration Mercury missions and the long-duration
missions of Apollo. The program was announced by NASA on
December 7, 1961, and was officially designated Gemini on
January 3, 1962. It was named after the third
constellation of the zodiac, featuring the twin stars
Castor and Pollux.
Major objectives achieved during the
program included demonstration that man can perform
effectively during extended periods in space, both within
and outside the protective environment of a spacecraft,
development of rendezvous and docking techniques, and
perfection of controlled reentry and landing procedures.
Missions and Crews
The Gemini Program consisted of a total
of 19 launches -- 2 initial uncrewed test missions, 7
target vehicles, and 10 crewed missions, each of which
carried two astronauts to Earth orbit. Each mission
lasted for periods ranging from 5 hours to 14 days.
| Mission |
Launch Date |
Reentry Date |
Crew |
Mission Notes |
| Gemini I |
April 8, 1964 |
April 12, 1964 |
none |
|
| Gemini II |
January 19, 1965 |
January 19, 1965 |
none |
|
| Gemini III |
March 23, 1965 |
March 23, 1965 |
Gus Grissom, John Young |
first manned Gemini flight and
first U.S. two-man mission |
| Gemini IV |
June 3, 1965 |
June 7, 1965 |
James McDivitt, Ed White |
Ed White performed first
spacewalk by an American (22 minutes) |
| Gemini V |
August 21, 1965 |
August 29, 1965 |
Gordon Cooper, Pete Conrad |
first use of fuel cells for
electrical power; prepared for future rendezvous
missions by testing guidance and navigation
systems |
| Gemini VI |
December 15, 1965 |
December 16, 1965 |
Walter Schirra, Tom Stafford |
completed first space rendezvous
with Gemini VII |
| Gemini VII |
December 4, 1965 |
December 18, 1965 |
Frank Borman, Jim Lovell |
last-minute rendezvous target
for Gemini VI when Agena failed; verified that
humans could live in space for up to 14 days |
| Gemini VIII |
March 16, 1966 |
March 16, 1966 |
Neil Armstrong,
David Scott |
first to dock with another
spacecraft; an attitude adjustor malfunctioned,
causing the spacecraft to spin uncontrollably;
first emergency return of U.S. spacecraft |
| Gemini IX |
June 3, 1966 |
June 6, 1966 |
Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan |
failed docking attempt with
augmented target docking adapter; completed three
types of rendezvous and two hours of spacewalking |
| Gemini X |
July 18, 1966 |
July 21, 1966 |
John Young, Michael Collins |
first time Agena's propulsion
system used to rendezvous; rendezvoused with
Gemini VIII target vehicle |
| Gemini XI |
September 12, 1966 |
September 15, 1966 |
Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon |
Agena propulsion system used to
reach a record altitude of 1,189.3 kilometers;
rendezvoused and docked with Agena during both
spacecraft's first orbit |
| Gemini XII |
November 11, 1966 |
November 15, 1966 |
Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin |
rendezvoused and docked with
Agena target vehicle; Aldrin set a spacewalk
record of 5 hours, 30 minutes |
Questions or comments about this
page?
Dr. David R. Williams. "The Gemini Program
(1962-1966)." Planetary Science Home Page.
Goddard Space Flight Center, 2004. nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/gemini.html
The Gemini Spacecraft
Ed White
Pete Conrad
Neil Armstrong
|
