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Gemini VII
Frank Borman and James A Lovell Jr lifted off aboard Gemini VII on December 4, 1965. Their primary mission was to show that humans could live in weightlessness for 14 days, an endurance record that stood until 1970. Their spacecraft also served as the target vehicle for Gemini VI-A, piloted by Walter M Shirra Jr and Thomas P Stafford, who carried out the world's first space rendezvous on December 15. These two achievements were critical steps on the road to the Moon.
The configuration shown here is the only part of Gemini that returned to Earth. Behind the heat shield was an adapter section containing propellants for the maneuvering thrusters, fuel cells for electric power, and retrorockets to return to Earth. It was jettisoned before reentry. The nose section was discarded during deployment of the main parachute, and the spacecraft landed on the ocean with the hatches facing up. |