Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
The First Era in Space, 1957-1975
Gemini 5
August 21 - August 29, 1965
Pushing the Envelope
Building on the success of his long-endurance Mercury mission, Gordon Cooper was teamed with Charles “Pete” Conrad for the eight day Gemini 5 mission. Making the journey a bit longer, the mission’s launch was put off for two days when a problem was discovered with the capsule’s fuel cell. NASA photo.
Pete Conrad On Board Gemini 5
Pete Conrad in a pensive mood aboard Gemini 5. Conrad and Gordon Cooper orbited the earth 120 times during the misison, and put the capsule through a series of exercises designed to work out guidance and navigation systems for future rendezvous missions. NASA photo.
Recovery
Assisted by U.S. Navy divers, Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad exit their Gemini 5 spacecraft after a successful splashdown. Despite a balky fuel cell, the astronauts were able to achieve all the major objectives of their mission and returned in good health and high spirits after eight days in space. NASA photo.
