Gemini 11
Gemini 11 (officially Gemini XI) was the ninth crewed spaceflight mission of NASA's Project Gemini, which flew from September 12 to 15, 1966. It was the 17th crewed American flight and the 25th spaceflight to that time (includes X-15 flights over 100 kilometers (54 nmi)). Astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. and Richard F. Gordon Jr. performed the first direct-ascent (first orbit) rendezvous with an Agena Target Vehicle, docking with it 1 hour 34 minutes after launch; used the Agena rocket engine to achieve a record high-apogee Earth orbit; and created a small amount of artificial gravity by spinning the two spacecraft connected by a tether. Gordon also performed two extra-vehicular activities for a total of 2 hours 41 minutes.
Gemini XI conducting a tether experiment using the Agena Target Vehicle | |
| Mission type |
|
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1966-081A |
| SATCAT no. | 2415 |
| Mission duration | 2 days 23 hours 17 minutes 9 seconds |
| Orbits completed | 44 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Gemini SC11 |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell |
| Launch mass | 3,798 kilograms (8,374 lb) |
| Landing mass | 1,920 kilograms (4,230 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 2 |
| Members |
|
| EVAs | 2 |
| EVA duration | 2 hours 41 minutes |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | September 12, 1966, 14:42:26 UTC |
| Rocket | Titan II GLV |
| Launch site | Cape Kennedy LC-19 |
| End of mission | |
| Recovered by | USS Guam |
| Landing date | September 15, 1966, 13:59:35 UTC |
| Landing site | 24°15′N 70°0′W |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 298 kilometers (161 nmi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,368 kilometers (739 nmi) |
| Inclination | 28.8 degrees |
| Period | 101.57 minutes |
| Epoch | September 14, 1966 |
| Docking with GATV-5006 | |
| Docking date | September 12, 1966, 16:16:00 UTC |
| Undocking date | September 14, 1966, 16:55:00 UTC |
| Time docked | 2 days 39 minutes |
|
Gordon (left) and Conrad Project Gemini | |
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