Gemini 6, 7 & 6A - Rendezvous and Long Duration Missions - Crew Comments and Historical Footage

Documentary about the Gemini 6, 7 & 6A missions, entirely based on crew commentary, historical narration, mission audio and footage.
The missions, part of NASA's Gemini Program, took place in December 1965, with the objective of studying long-duration spaceflight and spacecraft rendezvous, in preparation for the Apollo lunar landings. Gemini 7 was crewed by Frank F. Borman II and James A. Lovell Jr., while Gemini 6A was crewed by Walter M. Schirra Jr. and Thomas P. Stafford.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Gemini 6
00:47 Gemini 6 Crew, Hardware Tests and Objectives
02:48 Gemini 6 Agena Target Launch
04:37 Gemini 7 Crew, Suit and Objectives
06:14 Gemini 7 Launch
09:48 Gemini 7 Titan Stage Inspection & Missile Tracking
11:15 Gemini 7 First Week
13:37 Gemini 6A
14:14 Gemini 6A 1st Launch Attempt
16:42 Gemini 6A Launch
18:38 Gemini 6A Titan Stage Tracking
19:57 Gemini 6A Maneuvers
23:53 Gemini 6A & 7 Rendezvous
27:53 Gemini 6A Separation Burn
29:10 Gemini 6A Splashdown and Crew Comments
30:09 Gemini 7 Splashdown and Crew Comments
32:50 Gemini 6A & 7 Mission Results
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The footage was AI upscaled (Topaz AI) on some segments, besides the usual color correction. Ambient audio was recreated based on historical elements. Sequences are shown in proper mission context as much as possible.
Historical narration (from mission commentary and NASA documentaries and progress reports) is used in an attempt to capture the feeling of the times. Language and attitudes should be seen in that context.
Research, cleanup, editing, and processing by Retro Space HD.
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The original Gemini 6 mission, scheduled for launch on October 25, 1965, at 12:41 pm EDT, had a planned mission duration of 46 hours 47 minutes, completing a total of 29 orbits. It was to land in the western Atlantic Ocean south of Bermuda.
The mission was to include four dockings with the Agena Target Vehicle.
Original mission plans also included the first live television coverage of the recovery of a US spacecraft at sea from the recovery ship, the US aircraft carrier Wasp.
Gemini 7 (officially Gemini VII) was a 1965 crewed spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the fourth crewed Gemini flight, the twelfth crewed American spaceflight, and the twenty-first crewed spaceflight including Soviet flights and X-15 flights above the Kármán line. The crew of Frank Borman and Jim Lovell spent nearly 14 days in space, making a total of 206 orbits. Their spacecraft was the passive target for the first crewed space rendezvous performed by the crew of Gemini 6A.
Gemini 6A (officially Gemini VI-A) was a 1965 crewed United States spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. The mission, flown by Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford, achieved the first crewed rendezvous with another spacecraft, its sister Gemini 7. Although the Soviet Union had twice previously launched simultaneous pairs of Vostok spacecraft, these established radio contact with each other, but they had no ability to adjust their orbits in order to rendezvous and came no closer than several kilometers of each other, while the Gemini 6 and 7 spacecraft came as close as one foot (30 cm) and could have docked had they been so equipped.
Gemini 6A was the fifth crewed Gemini flight, the 13th crewed American flight, and the 21st crewed spaceflight of all time (including two X-15 flights over 100 kilometers (54 nautical miles)).
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#gemini #nasa #gemini6 #gemini7

[@sailor7557]

When I was in 3rd grade in 1965 the teacher put the Gemini stuff on TV and had us watch it for hours. It was a super big deal and instilled a sense of American technological superiority and patriotism in all of us kids.

[@jesus4400]

Space is FAKE. Wake up!

[@tgstudio85]

@@jesus4400 Wow a bot, how amazing;)

[@christinawells2024]

I watched a documentary that basically said the space race is what encouraged so many people to go to college. And that’s why it’s important for us to continue space exploration now, so it will encourage our youth.

[@josch614]

RIP Colonel Borman!

[@brucewebster5998]

Stumbled upon this and am hooked on your channel after watching this. I have been a US manned spaceflight junkie since Alan Shepard launched on Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961 when I was 8 years old. I used to audio tape missions using a reel-to-reel tape recorder with the mic taped to the TV speaker and film the screen using a Kodak Super8 movie camera - then sync the two later for playback (home VCRs were still more than a decade away!). At 71, I'm just finishing a quest to see every Mercury, Gemini, Apollo & Shuttle spacecraft on display. There are 36 of them, including the remains of the Challenger & Columbia at KSC. I've seen all but one of the 36, the Skylab 2 command module at the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola Naval Air Station (need DoD ID to get on base). Thanks for this great channel!

[@davidstevenson9517]

Congratulations on your quest, Bruce. Here in New Zealand I have seen one (1) spacecraft, a Gemini, mission unknown. NASA was touring this veteran spacecraft during the Apollo landings, either 1971 or 72; I was aged 8 or 9 (the heatshield felt and looked like scorched pumice) Great to see the Second Space Race beginning, abeit in the Winter of our lives.

[@alp-1960]

Good stuff. I really like the blackboard explanation of matching up orbital planes and rendezvous.

[@scottenglert4083]

Really appreciate you putting together these pieces of history for those of us a bit too young to have seen it in real-time... sort of random observation: Jim Lovell sure spent a lot of time in space during the pre-Skylab era...

[@davefellhoelter1343]

I grew up in Downey CA two of my schools bordered Rockwell. I have a Clear Memory of getting into a parking lot with our bikes, then on site, finding a scorched Gemini capsule on a trailer. I Got to SIT in a Scorched Apollo Capsule. I recall the smell of Burnt circuit boards and ozone, but I did Not know the Name of these smells before my later life. Once I smelled this for the First time with adult knowledge and vocabulary "I KNEW" I had already smelled this as a Kid.

[@fepatton]

Wonderful wrap-up of an amazing mission! When I was a little kid, right around Apollo 11 timeframe, my parents were fantastic about making sure I had lots of books, pictures, posters, etc., about the space program. One book I had was called "We Reach the Moon", published by the New York Times right after Apollo 11 ended. It had a photo section that included Gemini, and I just thought Gemini was the greatest - a little two-seater sports car for space! But the ONE image that always confused me was a closeup of Frank Borman in a soft suit. None of the other pictures I had showed this suit, and I couldn't wrap my head around what I was looking at, with the zippered helmet - where were the connection rings? I thought I knew what all the space suits looked like, and that didn't fit my model. It was _years_ before I finally saw a picture of the whole suit and read about its design, construction and purpose.

[@arricammarques1955]

The 16mm & medium format snaps remain legendary.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

Me to I had the National Geographic with Famous Pic of the Earth reflection in the Astronauts Visor from the Moon, Still Looking!

[@magneticstorm1]

RIP Lt. General, Thomas Stafford, Gemini 6, Gemini 9, Apollo 10 & Apollo - Soyuz.

[@stephendukes6582]

I feel so old as I remember seeing the Gemini missions on the news in the UK and the failure of the Agena vehicle failing to open properly and to me it looked rather like a crocodile. It nice to see the progress NASA made towards the Apollo flights. I just wish James Lovell had got to land on the moon after all that he did.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

After this considerable dual success, the Gemini program entered its darkest and most dangerous time with missions VIII and IX.

[@Gort58]

As always, a great documentary. Lots of footage I'd not previously seen. Many thanks.

[@jaycarlson927]

Keep finding the obscure footage we haven't seen before

[@Zoomer30_]

Gemini 6 was very very lucky that that "tail plug" fell out early. Had it not they would have had to eject. During the 1 sec or so of engineering fire before the abort, engines performance had begun to falter. Had the rocket lifted off, it would have crashed back to the pad. An inspection should a debris covered that had been left in the engine which interfered with propellant flow.

[@TimothyOBrien1958]

I love the difference between the very business-like bearing the astronauts displayed in these programs and how jocular they are later.

[@edkrzywdzinski9121]

Before: We got a job to do. Don't screw it up and don't explode on launch. After: We made it, still in one piece.

[@David-lb4te]

I always enjoy these updates. I think some of these are staged for TV to air as clips on the news bulletin. 13:25 the flight director would never ask the crew how long they have 'been up there'. 🙂

[@williamsplays8528]

Well. They like to joke around. It was probably said in order to rub it into the soviet union's face. They could have also been adjusting the mission timer to that space craft as I do not believe mission control had two METs. Even though apollo had two space craft they both had the same MET. And Agena didn't have one. Remember this mission was thrown together on a whim, it was never actually planned. so it is likely they were adjusting MET and preparing to do active guidance on that spacecraft. That is also probably why they were boasting about the crew doing maneuvers without mission control.

[@ricburn4803]

Very very well done! The editing, the sound track, all very well made with taste. Thank you! I really enjoyed this.

[@lanesaarloos281]

We watched some of the early space launches in elementary school. Again at home TV news.

[@arricammarques1955]

The bravery of the crews flying an ICBM into outer space.

[@erikmardiste]

Could watch and listen to this for hours. Just absolutely fascinating. Being an amateur astronomer i actually understood the rondeview. 😅😅

[@rodgerrodger1839]

Hey guys! Thanks so much for putting in all the time and effort to make these videos. I personally just get lost watching them. Our youth, our schools, and our entire society have forgotten about the early parts of our space program completely. Hopefully, these mini documentaries will help keep the fire alive in the minds of some of our youth about space travel. I'm an old man now, and these films still give me goosebumps. The courage they showed was just never properly acknowledged. Everything they were doing or using was basically a test to see if they could move forward with the next phase of space flight. They tested everything with their very lives. From liftoff to every orbit to splash down. Every man and for the women who didn't get credit all were true heroes. Every single one. Thank you again for keeping this memory alive. I have no problem admitting this chokes me up. They were all so smart and so brave. It was a nice thing for Americans to be proud of. It wasn't always wrapped in killing. Something we always wanted to do, it seems.

[@johnkurtz4390]

Awesome video as usual!!

[@bogey361]

Great content, well done.

[@basfinnis]

Really interesting stuff. Thanks 😉

[@andyburk4825]

Good vid - much enjoyed.

[@BarryBarrington_]

GREAT STUFF,

[@basfinnis]

Fantastic video. Thank you 👍Some of the supposed RT from Lovel was pure theatre though 😜

[@cwulfe1]

Bravo!

[@johndyson4109]

Wally was a great Astronaut, all business...

[@RGB06084]

"Following De-erection" could have been the first sign of modern day ED!

[@campbellmays9900]

Does anyone know when in the Gemini 7 mission occurred the conversation at 12:05? I’ve tried to look it up in the transcript and if I had a definite time it would help.

[@Gort58]

This sequence (with Chris Kraft in Mission Control) is part of what I believe were re-enactments for the NASA documentary 'Proud Conquest' that covered the mission. It seems to be an abbreviated version of a conversation that occurred at 67:06:16 MET.

[@TaborPrzemyslaw]

At 6:40, why was Frank Borman probed with electrodes attached to his head? What was the reason? Jim Lovell was not, as video suggests

[@dwmzmm]

Part of the medical experiments planned for Gemini - 7. Perhaps to monitor the brain waves while Borman was asleep? I think I've seen other pics of the G7 crew with biosensors taped to other parts of their bodies as well.

[@andreworiez8920]

Dry run for Apollo LEM docking.

[@lesaber251]

The astronauts may have wanted to re-think their heavy steak and eggs breakfast before launch. Considering their long duration mission together in the cramped capsule. If you know what I mean.

[@dwmzmm]

I read from some source that it was nearly 5 days into the mission before any of them "had to go."

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

A protein breakfast is low residue. It's carbs that will be heavy.

[@fumanpoo4725]

Good God...where those capsules pressurized? Or did they live in their excrement for prolonged periods of time?

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

That stuff was bagged and stored. But yes, it stank!

[@johndyson4109]

It's NOT Gemine, it's Gemini.... lol.. I would have been pist about the abort on VI! They shouldn't of modified the ignition sequence on the Ajena launch vehicle... Dummies!

[@edkrzywdzinski9121]

Don't call people dummies when you can't spell correctly yourself.

[@raysolorzano2938]

Just think that before the 50's rolled around. There wasn't even one piece of junk in space. Sad what man does to the land and space that they feel the need to explore and or occupy.

[@PDZ1122]

You'd rather stay in your cave, right?