Gemini 8
Spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gemini 8 (officially Gemini VIII)[2] 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.[lower-alpha 1] 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 which threatened the lives of the astronauts and required an immediate abort of the mission. The crew returned to Earth safely.
Quick Facts Mission type, Operator ...
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 (1966-03-16UTC16:41:02Z) 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 (1966-03-17UTC03:22:29Z) UTC |
Landing site | 25°14′N 136°0′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[1] |
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 |
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