The Gemini Program

With the success of Project Mercury, NASA knew that it could launch someone into orbit and then safely return them to Earth, but that could only take us so far in terms of landing on Moon. The next steps were to send more astronauts into space and expand the range of vehicles available- that would be done through the Gemini Program.  

As part of our celebration of Apollo 14’s 50th Anniversary, we’re posting information on Alan Shepard, the Apollo Program, and NASA.

Ed White conducted the first spacewalk by an American on June 3, 1965 as part of the Gemini Program.

Named after the Twins, Castor and Pollux, because each crewed flight had two astronauts, the Gemini Program’s goals included longer missions in space, docking two vehicles in orbit, and expanded training of both astronauts and ground crew, all of which were vital to landing a man on the Moon. 

Over the course of nine uncrewed and ten crewed missions, the Gemini Program sent 16 different astronauts into space (Jim Lovell, John Young, Pete Conrad, and Tom Stafford each flew on two missions) in a larger crew capsule and using the more powerful Titan rocket. Important milestones in the Gemini Program included the first American spacewalk by Ed White who spent 23 minutes outside the spacecraft on June 3, 1965; the first docking in space between two craft when Gemini VI and Gemini VII came together; and missions that lasted up to 14 days long. By the time the Gemini Program ended in November 1966, NASA knew that it could now turn its attention to getting to the Moon.