The Gemini Program As A Vital Component In Nasa’s Moon Landing

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Those were the famous words spoken as Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon. The moon landing was not possible before the Gemini program. The Gemini program was a vital component in the process of getting America to the Moon.

You’ve probably heard of the Gemini program, but do you know what it is? The Gemini program is a space program that was established in 1962 and ended in 1966. The purpose of the project was to prepare for the Apollo missions; it had four main goals: completing extended missions, docking spacecrafts in space, perfecting re-entry & landing, and evaluating the effects of space on astronauts. Alex P. Nagy named it after the Gemini constellation. Gemini is a Latin word that means twins, which corresponds to the Gemini’s capsule only being able to fit two people. Its missions launched from Cape Kennedy Air Force Station. It had an estimated budget of 164.4 million dollars, but it exceeded that amount. John Young and Virgil Grissom were the passengers on its first manned mission. Edward White performed the first American spacewalk while on Gemini 4. Edwin Aldrin was on its last mission, Gemini 12.

The Gemini program completed many missions before it accomplished its main goals. There were a total of 12. Gemini 1 and 2 were unmanned test flights. On March 23, 1965, Gemini 3 launched and became the first spacecraft to be able to maneuver while in orbit. Then, on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to spacewalk. After that, from August 21st to the 29th, the astronauts aboard Gemini 5 endured space for 7 days and 23 hours. A couple of months later, Gemini 7 broke that record by 5 days and 20 hours. While records were being broken, on December 16, the first-ever meeting of two crewed spacecrafts in space occurred. The following year, two spacecrafts dock for the first time. Eventually, Gemini 12, Gemini’s last mission, happened on November 11 through the 15th, where Edwin Aldrin performed 3 spacewalks that solved problems from previous flights. After the Gemini program, NASA was ready to reach for the moon.

The Gemini program and the Mercury program both paved the way for the Apollo moon landing, but they’re different in many ways. Of course, they both set records, made technological advancements, were organized by NASA, and happened in the same time frame. In spite of all their similarities, they are easily distinguishable. While the Gemini could hold two people, the Mercury could only fit one. The longest Mercury mission lasted 34 hours, whereas the longest Gemini mission was 13 days. The Gemini was named after a constellation, unlike the Mercury which was named after a Roman God. Mercury sent the first American to space, but Gemini took it a step further and performed the first American spacewalk. The Gemini had a total of ten crewed flights, yet the Mercury only had six. Lastly, Mercury accomplished its goals in 4 years while Gemini did the same in 5. Certainly, Gemini and Mercury were vastly different space programs, but in the long run, they were both essential to America’s eventual win in the Space Race.

Undoubtedly, the Gemini program was a pivotal point in NASA’s successful moon landing. Gemini was the bridge between the present and the future.