Gemini 8
Gemini VIII rendezvous with its Agena Target Vehicle in a station-keeping exercise | |
| Mission type | |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1966-020A |
| SATCAT no. | 2105 |
| Mission duration | 10 hours, 41 minutes, 26 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 293,206 kilometers (158,319 nautical miles) |
| Orbits completed | 6 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Gemini SC8 |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell |
| Launch mass | 3,789 kilograms (8,353 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 2 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 16, 1966, 16:41:02 UTC |
| Rocket | Titan II GLV, s/n 62-12563 |
| Launch site | Cape Kennedy LC-19 |
| End of mission | |
| Recovered by | USS Leonard F. Mason |
| Landing date | March 17, 1966, 03:22:28 UTC |
| Landing site | 25°14′N 136°0′E / 25.233°N 136.000°E |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 261 kilometers (141 nmi) |
| Apogee altitude | 270 kilometers (150 nmi) |
| Inclination | 28.9 degrees |
| Period | 89.81 minutes |
| Epoch | March 16, 1966 |
| Docking with GATV-5003 | |
| Docking date | March 16, 1966, 23:14 UTC |
| Undocking date | March 16, 1966, ~23:45 UTC |
| Time docked | ~30 minutes |
|
(L-R) Scott, Armstrong | |
Gemini 8 (officially Gemini VIII) was the sixth crewed spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was launched on March 16, 1966, and was the 14th crewed American flight and the 22nd crewed spaceflight overall. The mission conducted the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit, but also suffered the first critical in-space system failure of a U.S. spacecraft. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott temporarily lost attitude control of their craft during the docking procedure, which threatened their lives and resulted in an immediate abort of the mission. The crew returned to Earth safely.