Gemini 6A (GT-6A), a revised mission of Gemini 6, was launched on December 15, 1965, with pilots Walter M. Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford at the controls. The original plan for Gemini 6 involved rendezvousing with an unmanned Agena target rocket, which was intended solely as a "target" for the manned mission to dock with in Earth orbit. However, the mission was canceled due to a technical failure during the launch of the Agena rocket.
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| A Gemini 6A cover from "Orbit Covers," featuring a launch day postmark. This mission accomplished the first manned rendezvous with another spacecraft, Gemini 7. The covers are signed by Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford, and were canceled in Cape Canaveral on the launch day, December 15, 1965. |
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| Photo: Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford answering questions regarding their upcoming space mission at press conference on April 5, 1965. |
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| Photo: Flight path of the Gemini 6A and Gemini 7 rendezvous in Earth orbit. |
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| Two versions of the official NASA cachets for Gemini 6A, each postmarked with a Kennedy Space Center machine cancel on December 15, 1965. Both covers are signed by Walter Schirra. |
The plan was modified to expedite the launch of Gemini 7, allowing Gemini 6A to rendezvous with it in Earth orbit. Schirra successfully executed the space rendezvous with the Gemini 7 spacecraft. Once in formation, the two capsules flew around each other, coming within a foot (0.3 meters) of one another without making contact. They maintained close proximity for five hours.
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| Photo: The Gemini 6A crew, Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford, enjoying a pre-flight breakfast with fellow astronaut Alan Shepard on December 15, 1965. |
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| Photo: Thomas Stafford and Walter Schirra, suited up and prepared for their third attempt at a space rendezvous, leaving their van at Cape Kennedy and walking up the ramp to their Gemini 6 spacecraft. |
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| A "Centennial" cover for the Gemini 6A launch, postmarked at Cape Canaveral on December 15, 1965. |
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| Photo: Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford inside the Gemini spacecraft, accompanied by a "Good Luck" note signed by the "2nd Shift" staff and a farewell handshake glove attached to the spacecraft. |
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| Photo: Officers in the flagplot operations center aboard the USS Wasp receiving news of the successful launch of the Gemini 6A spacecraft. From left are Capt. Joseph E. Berrimen, Rear Adm. William N. Leonard, commander of Task Force Bravo; Vice Adm. Charles E. Weakley and Capt. Sam Sparks. This task force is responsible for recovering the Gemini 6A and 7 astronauts and their capsules. |
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| Photo: Images of the Gemini 6A and Gemini 7 spacecraft during their rendezvous in space. |
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| A "Sarzin" cover illustrating the rendezvous of the Gemini 6A and 7 spacecraft, featuring printed signatures of the astronauts. This cover is postmarked at Cape Canaveral on December 15, 1965. |
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| Photo: A celebratory moment at Mission Control following the successful rendezvous of the Gemini 6A and 7 spacecraft. |
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| Photo: The Gemini 6A capsule splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean on December 16, 1965. |
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| A Gemini 6A recovery ship cover from the USS Wasp, featuring the Beck rubber-stamped cachet from the aborted Gemini 6 mission, a hand-drawn World War II Disney insignia for USS Wasp CV-7, the rarer hand cancel, and the USS Wasp ship's cachet. |
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| Photo: Walter Schirra emerging from the Gemini capsule and receiving a congratulatory handshake from Dr. Donald Stullken, the chief of recovery operations. |
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| A Gemini 6A recovery ship cover from the USS Wasp featuring the Beck rubber-stamped cachet from the aborted Gemini 6 mission and a USS Wasp hand cancel dated December 16, 1965. This cover is signed by Air Boss Captain David Barksdale. |
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| Photo: Thomas Stafford and Walter Schirra exited their Gemini capsule and boarded the USS Wasp carrier. |
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| A Gemini 6A recovery ship cover from the USS Wasp featuring the Beck rubber-stamped cachet from the aborted Gemini 6 mission. This cover includes a USS Wasp machine cancel with the less common "AM" time slug, postmarked on December 16, 1965. |
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| Photo: Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford examine the heat shield of their capsule. |
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| A rare GT-6A recovery cover from the USS Wasp, featuring a Beck CREW Cover. Only 25 covers without the "B" number printed exist. It is hand signed by Walter Schirra, along with Thomas Stafford's autopen signature. |
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| Photo: Cake-cutting ceremony for the Gemini 6A crew aboard the USS Wasp. |
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| The Beck-printed cachet cover designated as B610 was originally intended for the USS Waldron; however, this particular one was sent to the USS Wasp. |
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| Photo: Captain Gordon E. Hartley of the USS Wasp and Walter Schirra engaged in conversation during the astronauts' visit to the sailors on the USS Wasp's expansive hangar deck. |
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| A Gemini 6A Captain's cover from the USS Wasp, featuring a hand cancel from the USS Wasp. Notably, the bottom cover has an inverted month in the postmark. |
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| Photo: Thomas Stafford and Walter Schirra greeting the destroyer USS Waldron from the flight deck of the USS Wasp. |
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| A Gemini 6A Beck-printed cachet cover (B585) from the USS Waldron. |
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| Photo: Gemini 6A astronauts Walter Schirra (left) and Thomas Stafford returning to Cape Kennedy, welcomed by fellow astronaut Alan Shepard. |
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| A Gemini 6A recovery ship cover from the USS Wasp featuring the USS Wasp ship's cachet. This cover is signed by G. Merritt Preston, the Deputy Mission Director for Launch Operations. |
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| Photo: Thomas Stafford and Walter Schirra reviewing a photo of the Gemini 7 spacecraft that they took during the rendezvous. |
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| Some USS Wasp recovery ship covers feature an inverted year in the machine cancel. The top cover, which includes the Beck rubber-stamped cachet from the aborted Gemini 6 mission, is signed by Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford. In contrast, the bottom cover displays the correct Beck rubber-stamped cachet for Gemini 6A. |
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| Photo: Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford described their close rendezvous with the Gemini 7 spacecraft at a press conference on December 30, 1965. |
(Reference from
Gemini 6A)
