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After the success of the Mercury Program, NASA was
ready to make the next step in preparation for human space exploration. The
Gemini Program would help move NASA closer to its goal of further exploration
and landing a man on the moon. In January 1962 the following objectives became
the basis for Gemini: subject equipment and people for up to 2 weeks in space;
rendezvous with another spacecraft in orbit, dock, and maneuver the combined
spacecraft; perfect methods of reentering the earth’s atmosphere and landing
at a specific point on land. While the program was successful in meeting these
objectives, the final objective (landing on the ground rather than water) was
scrapped in 1964.
One of the major advances over Mercury was the development of a two-person
craft. The Gemini spacecraft was capable of much longer duration flights than
the early Mercury flights, a precursor to the planned missions to the moon.
The first Manned Gemini flight was launched on March 23, 1965. Gemini III was
also known as Molly Brown. Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young completed a
three-orbit test flight in 4 hours 52 minutes and 31 seconds.
Gemini IV was one of the first extended missions. It lasted from June 3 to
June 
7, 1965. James A. McDivitt and Edward H. White II were the astronauts. This
mission was also notable for the first American Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA).
White’s EVA lasted 22 minutes.
L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. and Charles Conrad, Jr. were in space for 7 days 22
hours and 14 seconds aboard Gemini V. The first electric fuel cells were used
and special navigation equipment tested for rendezvous.
Frank Borman and James Lovell pushed the endurance envelope by staying in
orbit for 13 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes and 1 second. The flight was Gemini VII
and was in orbit from December 4 to December 18. During the mission, Gemini VI
was launched on December 15th and the two spacecraft completed a
successful rendezvous for about 5 hours. No docking was attempted.
The first successful docking between two American spacecraft occurred on
March 16, 1966. Neil Armstrong and David R. Scott docked with an unmanned Agena
stage spacecraft. This mission was also important because it was the first
emergency landing of an American spacecraft. The emergency was caused when the
joined spacecraft went into an uncontrollable spin. Armstrong and Scott undocked
and landed safely.
Several more missions tested and expanded upon the ability of NASA to dock
spacecraft, maneuver using engines on both craft, and extend EVA’s. Gemini XII
was the final flight of the program. James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin spent nearly
four days in orbit from November 11 to November 15, 1966. During that time,
Aldrin set an EVA endurance record of 5 hours and 30 minutes. All aspects of the
Gemini program were highly successful and filled in the knowledge gaps between
Mercury and Apollo. NASA was now ready to begin the
final push to the moon.
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