Gemini 6A
First crewed rendezvous in space, with Gemini 7.
Gemini 6A, officially designated Gemini VI-A, was a crewed American spaceflight that took place in 1965 as part of NASA’s Gemini program. The mission was piloted by Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford, and it accomplished the first crewed rendezvous in space, coming within one foot (30 centimeters) of its target, the sister spacecraft Gemini 7. Although the Soviet Union had previously launched pairs of Vostok spacecraft that could communicate by radio, those vehicles lacked the ability to adjust their orbits and never came closer than several kilometers. Had Gemini 6A and Gemini 7 been equipped for docking, they could have done so. This flight was the fifth crewed Gemini mission, the 14th crewed American flight, and the 22nd crewed spaceflight overall (including two X-15 flights that exceeded 100 kilometers in altitude).
The backup crew for the mission included Charles A. Bassett II and Elliot M. See Jr., who served as CAPCOMs from Houston and Cape Kennedy.
Mission parameters included a mass of 3,546 kilograms (7,818 pounds), a perigee of 161 kilometers (100 miles), an apogee of 259.4 kilometers (161.2 miles), an inclination of 28.97°, and an orbital period of 88.7 minutes. Stationkeeping with Gemini 7 began on December 15, 1965, at 19:33 UTC and ended on December 16, 1965, at 00:52 UTC, lasting 5 hours and 19 minutes.
The original Gemini 6 mission was scheduled for launch on October 25, 1965, at 11:41 am EDT, with a planned duration of 46 hours and 47 minutes over 29 orbits, landing in the western Atlantic Ocean south of Bermuda. The plan called for four dockings with an Agena Target Vehicle: the first at 5 hours 40 minutes into the mission, the second at 7 hours 45 minutes, the third at 9 hours 40 minutes, and the fourth at 10 hours 5 minutes. The final undocking was set for 18 hours 20 minutes. At 23 hours 55 minutes, while passing over White Sands, New Mexico, the crew was to attempt to observe a laser beam from the ground. Retrorockets were to fire at 46 hours 10 minutes over the Pacific Ocean on the 29th orbit. The mission also planned the first live television coverage of a U.S. spacecraft recovery at sea, using the aircraft carrier USS Wasp, equipped with ground station equipment from ITT to relay signals via the Intelsat I (“Early Bird”) satellite.
On October 25, 1965, Schirra and Stafford boarded Gemini 6 for l
- Mission
- Gemini 6A
- Launch date
- December 15, 1965
- Crew
- Wally Schirra, Thomas P. Stafford
- Mass
- 3,546 kilograms (7,818 lb)
- Orbit period
- 88.7 min
- Inclination
- 28.97°
- Rendezvous target
- Gemini 7
Lore & Background
The original Gemini 6 mission was scheduled for October 25, 1965, with plans to dock with an Agena Target Vehicle. However, the Agena exploded shortly after launch, canceling the mission. NASA then revised the plan, launching Gemini 6A eight days after Gemini 7, using that spacecraft as a rendezvous target without docking. The first launch attempt on December 12, 1965, ended abruptly when the Titan II engines shut down after 1.5 seconds; commander Wally Schirra chose not to eject, likely saving the mission. The second attempt on December 15 succeeded, and the crew performed a series of burns to rendezvous with Gemini 7, coming as close as one foot (30 cm).
Reader's Guide
Gemini 6A demonstrated the critical capability of crewed orbital rendezvous, a prerequisite for the Apollo lunar missions. Although the Soviet Union had launched simultaneous pairs of Vostok spacecraft, those could only establish radio contact and came no closer than several kilometers. Gemini 6A and 7 proved that spacecraft could precisely adjust orbits to meet, coming within docking distance. The mission also highlighted the importance of quick thinking under pressure, as Schirra's decision not to eject during the aborted launch avoided potential injury and mission delay. Its success paved the way for future docking operations and lunar orbit rendezvous.
Did You Know?
- Gemini 6A came as close as one foot (30 cm) to Gemini 7.
- The original Gemini 6 mission was canceled after its Agena target vehicle exploded.
- During the first launch attempt, Schirra decided not to eject because he felt no movement, likely saving the mission.
- The mission was the 21st crewed spaceflight of all time, including two X-15 flights.
More in Successful space missions 1-24
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