Gemini 12

<p>Gemini 12 (officially Gemini XII) was a 1966 <a href="/facts/Crewed_spaceflight/VgVxsGmq">crewed spaceflight</a> in <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>'s <a href="/facts/Project_Gemini/7PYE3AV4">Project Gemini</a>. It was the 10th and final crewed Gemini flight (<a href="/facts/Gemini_1/8PhKzfxp">Gemini 1</a> and <a href="/facts/Gemini_2/2nMNbtT4">Gemini 2</a> were uncrewed missions), the 18th crewed American spaceflight, and the 26th spaceflight of all time, including <a href="/facts/X-15/btDgcYKz">X-15</a> flights over 100 kilometers (54 nmi). Commanded by <a href="/facts/Gemini_7/5h26vRrV">Gemini VII</a> veteran <a href="/facts/Jim_Lovell/4LTanxu2">James A. Lovell</a>, the flight featured three periods of <a href="/facts/Extravehicular_activity/udj91j1E">extravehicular activity</a> (EVA) by rookie <a href="/facts/Buzz_Aldrin/meuu82u7">Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin</a>, lasting a total of 5 hours and 30 minutes. It also achieved the fifth <a href="/facts/Space_rendezvous/8KlcQyyf">rendezvous</a> and fourth <a href="/facts/Docking_and_berthing_of_spacecraft/zUWc9rvu">docking</a> with an <a href="/facts/Agena_target_vehicle/bjgdjgr3">Agena target vehicle</a>.
</p><p>Gemini XII marked a successful conclusion of the Gemini program, achieving the last of its goals by successfully demonstrating that astronauts can effectively work outside of spacecraft. This was instrumental in paving the way for the <a href="/facts/Apollo_program/IC1Ek1Ao">Apollo program</a> to achieve its goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.
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Gemini 12 open-in-new

Gemini 12