posted 08-14-2024 12:25 PM               

Project Gemini was the crucial link between NASA's first voyages into space and the historic landing on the Moon. Often overlooked as a period of NASA spaceflight history, Gemini was likely one of the most crucial programs for human space exploration ever devised. Not only did NASA quickly shrink the Soviet's technological lead, but the US also flew by them and learned the key skills to sending people into space and on lunar missions.

In just 19 months, Gemini missions 3-12 shattered spaceflight records, proving that humans could live and function in space, most importantly for the time required to travel to the Moon and back. Astronauts practiced numerous EVAs, eventually learning how to work and move while weightless. The first instances of rendezvous and docking also occurred, a crucial step for lunar missions, and future space station construction. This awesome and underappreciated period of spaceflight is illustrated in this compilation of real Gemini footage.