Project Gemini was a series of manned missions conducted between NASA's Mercury and Apollo programs. Its primary objectives included testing critical concepts for the Apollo missions, such as spacecraft rendezvous and docking, spacewalks (extra-vehicular activities), precision re-entry, and extended human survival in space. The program set the foundation for future lunar missions. The first unmanned test flight of the Gemini spacecraft,
Gemini 1, launched on April 8, 1964.
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| Photo: The Gemini spacecraft model being unveiled for the first time on March 29, 1962. |
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| A Gemini 1 cover from "Orbit Covers," postmarked on April 8, 1964. This cover is signed by Charles Mathews, the manager of the Gemini program. |
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| Photo: Charles W. Mathews, the Project Gemini manager, is pictured in his office at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas. A model of the two-man Gemini capsule and the Agena satellite rests on his desk, illustrating how they will appear after rendezvousing and docking in orbit. |
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| Photo: Gordon Cooper (second from left) and Neil Armstrong (right) examine the Gemini capsule prior to the launch. |
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| Gemini 1 cover from "SpaceCraft", postmarked on April 8, 1964. |
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| Photo: The Gemini astronauts pose with a replica of the launch vehicle. |
