WSF logo

gem8.gif
Gemini VIII

Mission Number: GT-08
16-17 March 1966

Crew:
    Neil Armstrong [1], Commander
    David Scott [1], Pilot

Backup Crew:
    Charles Conrad, Commander
    Richard Gordon, Pilot

Launch:
    Location: Cape Kennedy Air Force Station
    Pad: LC-19
    Date: 16 March 1966
    Time: 16:41:02 UTC

Flight:
    Mission Duration: 10 hours, 41 minutes, 26 seconds
    Orbits: 7

Landing:
    Date: 17 March 1966
    Time: 03:22:28 UTC

Recovery:
    Location: Pacific Ocean (25° 13.8' N, 136° 0' E)
    Vessel: USS Leonard F. Mason (DD-852)

Only Gemini flight to be cut short by a malfunction: one thruster kept firing after rendezvous and docking with an Agena rocket.  The wild gyrations nearly caused the crew to blackout. They undocked, hoping the problem was with the Agena. It wasn't. The reaction control system was shut down and the flight aborted. It was found the failure was caused by an electrical short in control system.

Because of the unexpected eary splashdown, Armstrong and Scott spent three hours in the water awaiting rescue.

Gemini VIII is located at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, Wapakoneta, OH.

crew
Crew

 


Page last modified: 20 June 2022 17:02:41.