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On this day in space! Aug. 29, 1965: NASA's Gemini 5 breaks spaceflight duration record after 2 astronauts spent '8 days in a garbage can'

29, 1965, two NASA astronauts returned to Earth after spending eight days in space on the record-setting Gemini 5 mission, setting the stage for longer trips to the moon.

Astronauts L. Gordon Cooper Jr. and Charles Conrad Jr. exit their spacecraft after splashdown of the Gemini-5 spacecraft. They are photographed boarding a life raft with the help of Navy divers.
Image: Space.com
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29, 1965, two NASA astronauts returned to Earth after spending eight days in space on the record-setting Gemini 5 mission, setting the stage for longer trips to the moon.

The short version

  • NASA Astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad exit their spacecraft after splashdown of the Gemini 5 spacecraft on Aug.
  • They are photographed boarding a life raft with the help of Navy divers.
  • Astronauts Gordon Cooper (left) and Charles Conrad are seen in the Gemini 5 spacecraft just before launching on their 8 Days or Bust mission in 1965.

What happened

The crew was also the first to design and wear a mission patch, as shown. Gemini 5 pilot Pete Conrad takes pictures of predetermined land areas during visual acuity experiments over Laredo, Texas while in orbit on the record-setting mission in 1965.

Why it matters

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Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Space.com via the links above and below.

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