Gemini XI

Occurred 58 years ago

Gemini 11 was the ninth crewed Earth-orbiting spacecraft of the Gemini series, carrying astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad and Richard Gordon. The 3-day mission was designed to achieve a first orbit rendezvous and docking with the Agena target vehicle, to accomplish two ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) tests, to perform docking practice, docked configuration maneuvers, tethered operations, parking of the Agena target vehicle and demonstrate an automatic reentry. There were also eight scientific and four technological experiments on board. The scientific experiments were (1) synergistic effect of zero-g and radiation on white blood cells, (2) synoptic terrain photography, (3) synoptic weather photography, (4) nuclear emulsions, (5) airglow horizon photography, (6) UV astronomical photography, (7) Gemini ion wake measurement, and (8) dim sky photography.

Mission Type

Human Spaceflight

mission duration

2 days, 23 hours, 17 minutes, 9 seconds

Launch

Sept. 12, 1966

Landing

Sept. 15, 1966

Two astronauts in spacesuits on deck of ship

The Gemini-11 prime crew, astronauts Richard F. Gordon Jr. (left), pilot, and Charles Conrad Jr., command pilot, relax on deck of the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever after suiting up for water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico on July 13, 1966.

NASA

The Gemini XI Crew

Portrait of Charles Condrad in white spacesuit

Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr.

Command pilot (second spaceflight)

Portrait of Dick Gordon in white spacesuit

Richard F. Gordon, Jr.

Pilot (first spaceflight)

NASA space science data coordinated archive

Gemini XI

The NSSDC provides an in-depth overview of the Gemini XI mission objectives, spacecraft, and program.

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S66-54656 (13 Sept. 1966) — Nose of Gemini-11 spacecraft and Agena Target Vehicle while docked as photographed by astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., pilot, during his stand-up extravehicular activity (EVA). Taken with a modified 70mm Hasselblad camera, using Eastman Kodak, Ektachrome, MS (S.O. 368) color film.

NASA

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