| Gemini Program the
intermediate step toward achieving a manned lunar landing
The Gemini 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.
| 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, Thomas 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 |
Link of Interest
Planetary Science Home Page Goddard Space
Flight Center nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
See Also
The Gemini Spacecraft
Gus Grissom
John Young
James McDivitt
Ed White
Pete Conrad
Thomas Stafford
Frank Borman
Neil Armstrong
David Scott
Michael Collins
Gene Cernan
Richard Gordon
Buzz Aldrin
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