Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
The First Era in Space, 1957-1975
Gemini 3
March 23, 1965
Gemini 3: Grissom and Young Move Up
John Young (l.) and Gus Grissom (r., in chair) were originally the backup crew for Gemini 3. Alan Shepard and Tom Stafford were forced to forego the mission when Shepard developed an inner-ear problem and was grounded by NASA’s medical personnel. As a result, Young and Grissom became the first astronauts to fly into space in a Gemini capsule. NASA photo.
A Bridge to the Moon
Following two unmanned test flights, the first Gemini capsule with astronauts inside lifts off, on March 23, 1965. The Gemini project built on the successes of Mercury and provided valuable experience for NASA’s astronauts, engineers and administrators as they prepared for the Apollo moon program. NASA photo.
Take Out Food
As missions grew longer and astronauts spent more time in space, food was specially formulated for the weightless environment. A minor furor arose during the Gemini 3 flight when John Young presented Gus Grissom with a corned beef sandwich he’d smuggled aboard as a practical joke, to the dismay of NASA administrators. NASA photo.
