This short NASA film gives viewers a look at the 1966 space mission of Gemini XI, which featured astronauts Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr. and Richard F. Gordon Jr. The film begins with an Atlas-Agena target vehicle being moved into place at a launch pad. Footage shows the Atlas rockets firing and the Agena taking off. Nearby, the Gemini XI spacecraft sits on Pad 19 waiting to launch. Viewers see Conrad and Gordon waiting for liftoff. Men work in the control room of the mission (01:30). Gemini XI lifts off for an “M=1 Rendezvous.” Gemini XI flies through the sky. There is a still shot of Gemini XI in orbit (02:43), followed by a photograph of Command Pilot Conrad. A man in NASA’s control room gives the OK for docking with the Agena (03:37). An on-board camera records the docking of Gemini XI with Agena. Pilot Gordon straddles the spacecraft nose during orbit (05:02). He maneuvers on the spacecraft, talking with command center. He removes a tether from the Agena during an extra-vehicular activity (EVA). There is a shot of the horizon with cars and a sunset somewhere on Earth (07:44), then the film cuts to footage of what appears to be the Sun coming into view of Gemini XI. The crew of Gemini XI sets an altitude record, and photos show the view of Earth from that altitude (09:07). A monitor shows the spacecraft in orbit. This is followed by more shots of Gemini XI in space, with photos of Earth shot from an open hatch during another EVA. Gemini XI undocks from Agena (10:58). Footage shows the tether connecting the two spacecraft. At the command center, men work on the logistics for a second rendezvous between Gemini XI and Agena. There is a good panning shot of inside the control room. Two Sikorsky Sea King helicopters of the Navy’s Helicopter Squadron HS-3 take off from USS Guam (Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship) to recover Gemini XI (13:35). Gemini XI parachutes to the ocean, and a helicopter flies over the capsule. The crew are hoisted aboard the helicopter. Gordan and Conrad climb out of the helicopter aboard the USS Guam (15:00), and the two men pose for photographs. Gemini XI is hoisted out of the water and onto the assault ship (15:50), concluding the film.

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-ever 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 world-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.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com