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So yesterday I showed you Project Mercury, now today I give you its successor, Project Gemini. Gemini was the second human spaceflight program operated by NASA, and was between Mercury and Apollo, running from 1965 to 1966 with ten manned flights. It's objective was to develop techniques for space travel that would aid with putting a man on the Moon (Apollo). Gemini missions included the first American spacewalks, and orbital maneuvers such as rendezvous and docking.

Gemini had a team of sixteen astronauts, split into three groups. Group 1 included L. Gordon Cooper (USAF), Virgil 'Gus' Grissom (USAF), and Walter M. Schirra (USN). Group 2 was made up of Neil A. Armstrong (Civilian), Frank Borman (USAF), Charles 'Pete' Conrad (USN), James A. Lovell (USN), James A. McDivitt (USAF), Thomas P. Stafford (USAF), Edward H. White II (USAF), and John W. Young (USN). Group 3 was composed of Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (USAF), Eugene A. Cernan (USN), Michael Collins (USAF), Richard F. Gordon (USN), and David R. Scott (USAF). Service during Gemini, and deaths due to accidents, helped to determine the makeup of the first seven Apollo crews, which would determine who would be on Apollo 11.

There were 12 Gemini flights (10 manned and 2 unmanned), all launched by Titan II GLV rockets, which were created by modifying Titan II ICBMs. Gemini 1 and 2 were both unmanned, and intended as a test flight and a suborbital flight to test the heat shield, respectively. Gemini 3 was commanded by Grissom and flown by Young; it launched on March 23 1965 and was the first manned Gemini flight, making 3 orbits. Gemini 4 was commanded McDivitt and flown by White; it was launched on June 3 1965 and featured the first spacewalk by an American (White). Gemini 5 was commanded by Cooper and flown by Conrad; it launched August 21 1965 and featured the first week-long flight, first use of fuel cells for electrical power, and evaluated guidance and navigational systems for for future rendezvous missions,. Gemini 7 (Gemini 6 was delayed due to problems) was commanded by Borman and piloted by Lovell; it was launched on December 4 1965 and was used to determine whether humans could survive in space for 14 days (it was very boring up there from what I've heard). Gemini 6-A was commanded by Schirra and piloted by Stafford; it was launched December 15 1965 and featured the first rendezvous in space, keeping station with Gemini 7 for over five hours. Gemini 8 was commanded by Armstrong and piloted by Scott; it was launched March 16 1966 and featured the first space docking with another craft (an unmanned Agena stage), and due to a thruster malfunction after undocking it also featured the first emergency landing of a manned US space mission. Gemini 9-A (it was also forced to rescehdule when its target failed to make orbit) was commanded by Stafford and piloted by Cernan; it was launched June 3 1966 and made rendezvous and docked with an agumented target docking adapter (ATDA) with a new target vehicle (sadly, the ATDA didn't work correctly and docking was never accomplished), with three types f rendezvous, two hours of EVA, and 44 orbits completed. Gemini 10 was commanded by Young and piloted by Collins; it was launched July 18 1966 and featured the first use of an Agena target vehicle's propulsion systems. Gemini 11 was commanded by Conrad and piltoed by Gordon; it was launched September 12 1966 and set a record altitude of 739.2 miles (1189.3 km) using an Agena propulsion system. Gemini 12 was the last Gemini mission and was commanded by Lovell and piloted by Aldrin; it was launched November 11 1966 and featured another rendezvous with a target vehicle (Aldrin also made an EVA record of five hours thrity minutes).

The experience gained on the Gemini missions, as well as the technology and techniques developed and tested, would be put to good use in the Apollo missions.

Description
So yesterday I showed you Project Mercury, now today I give you its successor, Project Gemini. Gemini was the second human spaceflight program operated by NASA, and was between Mercury and Apollo, running from 1965 to 1966 with ten manned flights. It's objective was to develop techniques for space travel that would aid with putting a man on the Moon (Apollo). Gemini missions included the first American spacewalks, and orbital maneuvers such as rendezvous and docking.

Gemini had a team of sixteen astronauts, split into three groups. Group 1 included L. Gordon Cooper (USAF), Virgil 'Gus' Grissom (USAF), and Walter M. Schirra (USN). Group 2 was made up of Neil A. Armstrong (Civilian), Frank Borman (USAF), Charles 'Pete' Conrad (USN), James A. Lovell (USN), James A. McDivitt (USAF), Thomas P. Stafford (USAF), Edward H. White II (USAF), and John W. Young (USN). Group 3 was composed of Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (USAF), Eugene A. Cernan (USN), Michael Collins (USAF), Richard F. Gordon (USN), and David R. Scott (USAF). Service during Gemini, and deaths due to accidents, helped to determine the makeup of the first seven Apollo crews, which would determine who would be on Apollo 11.

There were 12 Gemini flights (10 manned and 2 unmanned), all launched by Titan II GLV rockets, which were created by modifying Titan II ICBMs. Gemini 1 and 2 were both unmanned, and intended as a test flight and a suborbital flight to test the heat shield, respectively. Gemini 3 was commanded by Grissom and flown by Young; it launched on March 23 1965 and was the first manned Gemini flight, making 3 orbits. Gemini 4 was commanded McDivitt and flown by White; it was launched on June 3 1965 and featured the first spacewalk by an American (White). Gemini 5 was commanded by Cooper and flown by Conrad; it launched August 21 1965 and featured the first week-long flight, first use of fuel cells for electrical power, and evaluated guidance and navigational systems for for future rendezvous missions,. Gemini 7 (Gemini 6 was delayed due to problems) was commanded by Borman and piloted by Lovell; it was launched on December 4 1965 and was used to determine whether humans could survive in space for 14 days (it was very boring up there from what I've heard). Gemini 6-A was commanded by Schirra and piloted by Stafford; it was launched December 15 1965 and featured the first rendezvous in space, keeping station with Gemini 7 for over five hours. Gemini 8 was commanded by Armstrong and piloted by Scott; it was launched March 16 1966 and featured the first space docking with another craft (an unmanned Agena stage), and due to a thruster malfunction after undocking it also featured the first emergency landing of a manned US space mission. Gemini 9-A (it was also forced to rescehdule when its target failed to make orbit) was commanded by Stafford and piloted by Cernan; it was launched June 3 1966 and made rendezvous and docked with an agumented target docking adapter (ATDA) with a new target vehicle (sadly, the ATDA didn't work correctly and docking was never accomplished), with three types f rendezvous, two hours of EVA, and 44 orbits completed. Gemini 10 was commanded by Young and piloted by Collins; it was launched July 18 1966 and featured the first use of an Agena target vehicle's propulsion systems. Gemini 11 was commanded by Conrad and piltoed by Gordon; it was launched September 12 1966 and set a record altitude of 739.2 miles (1189.3 km) using an Agena propulsion system. Gemini 12 was the last Gemini mission and was commanded by Lovell and piloted by Aldrin; it was launched November 11 1966 and featured another rendezvous with a target vehicle (Aldrin also made an EVA record of five hours thrity minutes).

The experience gained on the Gemini missions, as well as the technology and techniques developed and tested, would be put to good use in the Apollo missions.