Objectives

Gemini VII was the fourth crewed Earth-orbiting spacecraft of the Gemini series, having been launched before Gemini VI-A. It carried astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell on the 14-day mission. Its mission priorities were (1) to demonstrate a 2-week flight, (2) to perform stationkeeping with the Gemini launch vehicle stage 2, (3) to evaluate the ‘shirt sleeve’ environment and the lightweight pressure suit, (4) to act as a rendezvous target for Gemini VI-A, and (5) to demonstrate controlled reentry close to the target landing point. The crew members had three scientific, four technological, four spacecraft, and eight medical experiments to perform.

Milestones

Dec. 4, 1965: Launch from Cape Canaveral.

Dec. 15, 1965: Rendezvous with Gemini VI-A.

Dec. 18, 1965: Splashdown in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Mission Facts

Crew: Frank F. Borman II (Command Pilot) and James A. Lovell Jr. (Pilot)

Backup Crew: Edward H. White II and Michael Collins

Payload: Gemini 7

Mass at launch: 3,663 kg

Launch Date: Dec. 4, 1965, 2:30:03 p.m. EST (19:30:03 UT)

Launch Site: Complex 19, Cape Canaveral, United States

Launch Vehicle: Titan II

Revolutions Completed: 206

Duration: 330 hours, 35 minutes, 1 second (13 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes, 1 second)

Landing Date: Dec. 18, 1965, 9:05:04 a.m. EST (14:05:04 UT)

Landing Site: Western Atlantic, 25.42° N, 70.10° W

Recovery Ship: U.S.S. Wasp

Mission Overview

Gemini VII was launched from Complex 19 at 2:30:03 p.m. EST (19:30:03.702 UT) on Dec. 4, 1965, and inserted into a 161.6 x 328.2 km orbit at 2:36:11. Immediately after separation, Gemini VII began stationkeeping operations with the Titan II second stage at distances from 6 meters to 80 km over a period of 17 minutes. On the third revolution, the perigee was raised to 230 km to ensure an orbital lifetime of 15 days. On Dec. 6, 45 hours into the mission, Lovell removed his spacesuit to evaluate the shirtsleeve environment. The first five days were spent conducting experiments and spacecraft tests. On Dec. 9, the orbit was circularized to 299.7 km x 303.7 km to prepare for the rendezvous exercise with Gemini VI-A. On Dec. 10, 140 hours into the mission, Lovell put his suit back on and Borman removed his. Some 20 hours later Lovell removed his suit as well and both astronauts operated without suits for the remainder of the mission except for the rendezvous with Gemini VI-A and reentry.

Experiments were conducted over the next few days and on Dec. 15, Gemini VI-A was launched. Gemini VI-A caught up to Gemini VII and rendezvous was technically achieved and stationkeeping begun at 2:33 p.m. EST with the two Gemini spacecraft in zero relative motion at a distance of 110 meters. Stationkeeping maneuvers involving the spacecraft circling each other and approaching and backing off continued for 5 hours 19 minutes over three and a half orbits. During the maneuvers, all four astronauts on both spacecraft took turns in the formation flying activities and photographs were taken from both spacecraft. This marked the first time two spacecraft were maneuvered with respect to each other by their crews. At the end of stationkeeping, Gemini VI-A fired thrusters to move to a position roughly 50 km away from Gemini VII for drifting flight during the sleep period. Gemini VI-A returned to Earth on Dec. 16. Gemini VII remained in Earth orbit and reentered two days later.

Retrorockets were fired at the end of revolution 206 on Dec. 18 at 8:28:07 a.m. to begin the reentry sequence. Splashdown followed at 9:05:04 in the western Atlantic southwest of Bermuda at 25.42° N, 70.10° W, only 12.2 km from the target point. The astronauts were recovered by helicopter and brought aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Wasp at 9:37. The spacecraft was recovered at 10:08 a.m. Total mission elapsed time was 330 hours, 35 minutes, and 1 second, making this the longest anyone had ever stayed in space. The astronauts were pronounced in “better than expected” physical condition after their two-week flight.

All primary mission objectives were successfully completed. The three scientific experiments: synoptic terrain photography, synoptic weather photography, and visual acuity in the space environment were all completed successfully. All other onboard experiments were performed except landmark contrast measurement and star occultation navigation, due to equipment failure. Only partially completed were in-flight sleep analysis, proton-electron spectrometer, and optical communication. Minor malfunctions related to fuel cells and attitude control thruster occurred but did not hamper the mission.