In 1965, the NASA Gemini program was well underway. Designed as a stepping stone to the Apollo moon program, it tested the astronauts ability to endure a trip to the lunar surface. There were some pretty wild missions, which by standards now, took a lot of risks, but there was one mission in particular that was really wild, wild west.
Gemini 6 with astronauts Stafford and Schirra was supposed to be the first attempt to dock with an unmanned Agena target vehicle, which would be launched a short time before the Titan/Gemini craft. Things didn't work out too great and the Agena vehicle blew into five big piece over the Atlantic. Gemini 6 sat on the ground.
Then, the NASA gunslinger mentality kicked in. Gemini 7 was already assembled and sitting on another launching pad. Eight days after the Agena vehicle blew into pieces, Gemini 6-A (as it was called) was successfully launched with Gemini 7, manned by astronauts Borman and Lovell, launched soon after. The goal was the two Gemini capsules to rendevoux with each other, thereby closely mimicking the originally planned Gemini 6-A/Agena docking.
It worked. The two ships maneuvered within one foot of each other. There were a lot of pictures taken, but this one is my favorite. I believe it's Gemini 6-A taken from the cabin of Gemini 7 ...
As a kid, the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo programs were fascinating. They didn't shape my future, but they were just the most interesting things to get involved in.
On a different note ... the last two months have been a all-out-balls whirlwind. I can't find time to take a relaxing shit, little alone write, which kind of pisses me off. But, there have been a lot of things that I've been saving up to write about. And ... I hope to do so soon.
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