[GEMINI 8] AGENA, FIRST DOCKING OF TWO SPACECRAFT IN ORBIT. VINTAGE NASA "RED NUMBER" PHOTOGRAPH, 16 March 1966.

The Vintage NASA Photo Collection of Philip Kulpa

[GEMINI 8]

AGENA, FIRST DOCKING OF TWO SPACECRAFT IN ORBIT. 16 MARCH 1966.

Vintage NASA “Red Number” chromogenic color photograph, 10 by 8 inches, “A Kodak Paper” watermark to verso. NASA image ID “NASA S-66-25783" printed in upper margin in red. Pencil notation to verso incorrectly identifying this as Gemini 12.

A full side view of the Agena Target Vehicle, taken from the Gemini 8 spacecraft at a range of 44 feet, just prior to docking. Gemini 8 was the first spaceflight for both future Apollo 11 & 15 Mission Commanders Neil Armstrong and David Scott. During the mission they successfully performed the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit. The mission subsequently required an immediate abort after they experienced the first critical in-space system failure of a US spacecraft.